Five Days
by Saranwyn
Summary: InuYasha finds Sesshoumaru bleeding to death in the forest and cannot bring himself to kill his older brother. What happened to the noble demon lord and how? I'm no good with summaries. Warning: Yaoi Inucest Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha or any of the characters!
1. Chapter 1

InuYasha tilted his nose to the wind, frowning. He'd been out taking a walk while the others were eating dinner. He sniffed again to be sure. Yes, that was Sesshoumaru…and judging from how heavy his scent was, he was bleeding. Curious, more than worried, he went to investigate. Sesshoumaru was a 300-year-old demon; he could handle himself. But it had been a long time since InuYasha had seen his older half-brother even get nicked, let alone spill enough blood to produce this scent.

Sesshoumaru was sitting on the forest floor, leaned back against a tree, his eyes closed. Blood stained his clothes – though his youkai had already repaired them. InuYasha stared for a moment. _What happened to him?_ he wondered. _I mean, he's…_ InuYasha's mind ceased to work when he realized just how much blood Sesshoumaru had lost – it had soaked the ground around him – and that his brother was indeed bleeding to death.

"If you've come to jeer and bark, Little One," Sesshoumaru murmured, not even opening his eyes. "Please go ahead and do it." Now his eyes did open and InuYasha almost jumped out of his skin. Even in this state, Sesshoumaru's gaze was terrifying. "And if you've come to kill me, a good place to start would be drawing your sword." InuYasha looked around, realizing a sudden absence.

"Where's Jaken and that girl, Rin?" he asked. Sesshoumaru sighed, closing his eyes again. If InuYasha didn't know better, he'd say his brother looked sad. _Sad? No he's just tired…right?_

"Gone."

"You mean captured?"

"No, I mean they left when they realized I was in no state to protect them." InuYasha's heart skipped a beat. _What? N-no way! They…they wouldn't! But…Sesshoumaru doesn't lie._

"What happened to you?"

"Naraku." _No, there's no way Naraku did this to him._ "He was holding something over someone I care very much about…threatening them, as it were, so I…" _No, no, no, no. Is he saying he just gave himself up?_ "So I traded myself."

"What did he do to you?" Now Sesshoumaru's eyes opened, again.

"Well, he didn't kill me, so what's the other way demons exert dominance over others?" InuYasha's eyes widened and his ears flattened back against his head.

"He…you mean he-?"

"Just his tentacles." The last traces of InuYasha's long hatred of his brother disappeared, dissolved into pity and sorrow. _He let Naraku do that to him…to protect someone else. Maybe I misjudged him…all along,_ he thought. After a moment of staring at him, InuYasha turned and walked away. He thought he heard Sesshoumaru chuckle dryly behind him.

_Of course he wouldn't stay,_ Sesshoumaru thought a little bitterly. _Why would he stay? He would never. He never even pretended to want anything to do with me, like Rin and Jaken did. How could I even tell him…that it was him I was protecting? He wouldn't understand. No…it's better this way._ Sesshoumaru's eyes snapped up as his brother returned, a dead rabbit, a bowl of water, and lots of firewood in his arms. He sat down and set up a fire. _What is he doing?_ Sesshoumaru wondered, watching him a little warily.

"Sesshoumaru?" InuYasha asked softly. "I'm going to have to remove your clothes to get to your wounds. He hurt you a lot and if you lose any more blood, I'm worried you won't make it." _Worried I won't make it? Worried? InuYasha?_ "May I?" InuYasha didn't make a move to touch Sesshoumaru until the demon lord nodded almost imperceptibly. First, InuYasha removed his shoulder guard, then his swords and obi, then his haori, kimono, and shoes, and lastly his hakama. Sesshoumaru's pelt, his tail when he was in his dog form, lay loosely around him. InuYasha frowned at the lacerations covering his brother's body. "Do you want me to do this the human way or the demon way? I understand if you're not comfortable with me cleaning your wounds with my tongue right now." Sesshoumaru nodded and let InuYasha interpret that as he wanted. Tearing some of his own haori, InuYasha dipped it in the water and began to wash the blood off his brother's body. Sesshoumaru sat perfectly still as InuYasha gently moved his body to access all the wounds. Then, he gently licked some of the worse wounds, his saliva cauterizing the injuries. Sesshoumaru watched his brother work in complete silence. InuYasha had actually expected his brother to say something, to insist that things were done his way, attempt to gain some sort of control, but he didn't do anything. It actually left InuYasha a little worried.

Next, he sat down in front of his brother, skinned the rabbit and carefully cut it up with his claws. Normally, he'd have just tossed the whole thing at Sesshoumaru and let him tear the meat from the bones however he saw fit, but here he was, now, preparing to hand feed him. _There's no way he's going to let me feed him,_ InuYasha thought. _He'll probably bite my hand off._ But he held out a piece of meat anyways, surprised when Sesshoumaru, uncomplaining, took it from his hands. So InuYasha continued to feed Sesshoumaru piece after piece as his older brother's tongue, teeth, and lips delicately took in each ounce of sustenance. Once the rabbit was gone, InuYasha gathered up Sesshoumaru's clothes.

"There's a stream nearby," he informed his brother. "Can I carry you there so you can bathe and I can wash your clothes?" Sesshoumaru normally would've pointed out that InuYasha did not mean "can" he meant "may" but now, he just nodded. As gently as he could, InuYasha scooped up his older brother. It was a little awkward, because Sesshoumaru was bigger than him, but it wasn't like InuYasha wasn't strong enough to carry him, or anything. Sesshoumaru rested his head on InuYasha's shoulder as he carried him to the where the stream emptied into a lake. "I'm sorry it's cold but there are no hot springs around, so…" InuYasha apologized as he set Sesshoumaru in the water before kneeling at the water's edge to wash Sesshoumaru's clothes. He paused, halfway through, and set aside the clothes. "Do you want me to wash your hair for you?" Sesshoumaru looked up at him, his face unreadable, then nodded and looked away. Leaving the clothes to soak, InuYasha went to sit right behind Sesshoumaru. Slowly, gently, he began to wash his older brother's hair. Once that was done, he finished washing the clothes. Then, he helped Sesshoumaru get out and used his kimono to dry him off before helping Sesshoumaru dress, again, and carrying him back to the camp.

"Are you hungry?" he asked. "I can get you some more food, if you want." He was ready to press the matter, but Sesshoumaru just nodded, his eyes downcast. "Wait right here, okay?" _As if I could go far if I wanted to,_ Sesshoumaru thought incredulously as he watched his younger brother walk off to get something to eat. _Why is he doing this? _He wondered idly. _I have been nothing but cruel to him…as far as he knows. He has no reason to do this, and he has his own pack. _He looked up as InuYasha came back with another rabbit. He skinned it, deboned it, and fed it to Sesshoumaru, again. "Better?" Sesshoumaru nodded. "Okay, well, why don't you get some sleep? I'll keep watch tonight." Sesshoumaru lied down, his tail moving of its own accord to wrap around him, providing both a blanket and a pillow. _He'll probably leave once I'm asleep,_ he thought as his eyes drifted shut.

InuYasha stared at his brother's sleeping form. His throat worked as he tried to come up with an explanation for how he was feeling. But there was no explanation. He didn't even know really what it was he was feeling, actually. _He let someone – Naraku – he let __**Naraku**__ do this to him. He didn't have to, but he…he was protecting someone. Someone that matters to him. Who? Rin? That would be too cruel._ Sighing, he absently reached out and stroked his fingers through Sesshoumaru's tail, which twitched in response, puffing up slightly.

Some hours later, Sesshoumaru began to toss fitfully in his sleep, a soft whine emerging from his throat. InuYasha moved closer to him, stroking his hair soothingly and murmuring soft assurances. His older brother reached out and grabbed the scarlet fabric of his shirt, curling his slender, aristocratic fingers tightly around it. InuYasha's gentle touches moved to Sesshoumaru's cheek. Slowly, Sesshoumaru calmed down, sinking back into a restful sleep…

Sesshoumaru awoke in the morning, expecting to be alone. But InuYasha was there with breakfast already. Normally Sesshoumaru only needed to eat every once in a while, but while he was still recovering, it was best if he ate almost as often and as much as a human. He stared at his brother, surprised and confused, as he skinned and deboned the squirrel he had caught. Slowly, painfully, Sesshoumaru sat up.

"Don't move too much," InuYasha cautioned him. "You'll reopen your wounds." He cut up the meat, again and held out a piece. Mystified but not about to complain, Sesshoumaru ate from his hand, again, licking his fingers clean. InuYasha suppressed a laugh. It tickled. "You want more?" he asked softly. "I can get you more." Sesshoumaru shook his head. "Okay. Why don't you just rest against me, then?" Hesitantly, Sesshoumaru obeyed.

()*()*()

Sesshoumaru lay with his head in InuYasha's lap, his eyes closed. His younger brother's fingers combed soothingly through his hair. He'd actually expected InuYasha to leave him a long time ago, but he was now ending his third day staying with Sesshoumaru.

"Sesshoumaru?" InuYasha asked softly. Sesshoumaru looked up at him wordlessly. "I…I don't think I ever really hated you." Sesshoumaru blinked. _First of all, how can he say that, after what all I've done to him, and secondly, why is he saying this now? _Sesshoumaru wondered. He would've expected that any kind of confession like this would've come when Sesshoumaru was on the brink of death, not now that the danger was over. "I think I was just hurt and confused, so it was easier…to get angry than to face my real feelings," InuYasha continued before Sesshoumaru could ponder over his words more. The older demon turned his full attention to his younger brother, waiting for him to speak his piece. "I was bitter, because…because I wanted your approval. I mean, you're…you're everything I'm not. You're strong and feared and unt0u…" he stopped. _Crap, was I about to say that, just after the got "touched" by Naraku?_ "Unshakable, and…and everything. And I'm just a filthy **half-breed**. And I realize, now…you only behaved that way to protect…I mean…you were just protecting yourself, really. So I wanted to apologize."

"Don't." It was the first word Sesshoumaru had spoken since that first night.

"What?"

"Apologize. Don't do it. You did nothing wrong." Sesshoumaru looked away, again then sighed and shut his eyes to finish the conversation he'd started. "I behaved cruelly to you. What I did was wrong. I should've supported and nurtured. But instead, I selfishly blamed you for our father's death. I denied us both what we wanted. I beat you down and turned away from you and told myself the pain that caused me was weakness. I told myself it was **weak** that I couldn't not kill you. But then, when Naraku threatened you-" Sesshoumaru stopped abruptly, realizing his mistake. He hadn't been going to tell InuYasha it was him he was protecting. He let his breath hiss out through his teeth before he continued, now that his secret was in the open, anyways. "When Naraku held your safety in the palm of his hand and demanded the unthinkable from me, I realized it was not weakness but strength that kept me from killing you…that allowed me to protect you." He opened his eyes and looked up InuYasha evenly, searching for a response.

"M-me?" InuYasha whispered. "Sesshoumaru, you…you gave yourself up…for me? But…but…"

"He had someone planted in your group…disguised as a woman named Sakura, but she was actually a demon. You were all sleeping and he was going to have her kill you. In exchange for me, he had her leave."

"Sakura, but…Oh." A tear rolled down inuYasha's cheek. "Sessh…I-I'm so sorry!" More tears slipped from those amber eyes. "For me? Sessh…why? Why?! Not for **me**!" Sesshoumaru reached up and brushed away InuYasha's tears.

"That it was for you…made it worth it. InuYasha, I couldn't have done that for anyone else…Before he died, our father asked me if I had anyone to protect. I told him no. Until three days ago, I was sure my answer was no. But now I realize…it has always…**always** been yes, InuYasha. I have **always** wanted to protect you. Even before you were born…I saved your mother's life…to protect you. InuYasha, I…" Sesshoumaru trailed off, unable to find words for what he wanted to say. Instead, he half sat up, pulled InuYasha's head down, and sealed their mouths together. After a moment he drew back slightly, his breaths a little ragged. InuYasha's eyes were wide, his mouth slightly agape in shock. Losing the rest of his energy, Sesshoumaru lied back down in his lap, closing his eyes…and waited. He waited for InuYasha to return to his senses and leave. _He's been raised in a human world. He would be disgusted…_

"Oh," is all InuYasha said, just a soft, whispered "oh." Then, his hand returned to Sesshoumaru's hair. The InuYoukai lord lied perfectly still, processing what had just happened. _I kissed him,_ he mused. _And he didn't…do anything. I mean, he didn't reject or accept me, really. Besides the "oh," he's acting like nothing happened…maybe that's best._ He felt a tear fall down onto his cheek and he opened his eyes to see InuYasha was silently crying, again. Sesshoumaru's heart clenched painfully, but he was completely paralyzed. He didn't know what to say or do. "I'm so sorry," InuYasha gasped when he realized his brother was watching him. "For everything."

"I already said not to be," Sesshoumaru replied, mystified. _Why is he still apologizing? I don't understand._ He reached up slowly and wiped away a tear, analyzing the wetness of his finger thoughtfully. InuYasha closed his eyes and sniffled.

"S-sorry…I'm sorry! I'm so, so, so sorry!" The next thing Sesshoumaru knew, he was pulled up against his younger half-brother's chest in a fierce embrace. He slowly put his arms around InuYasha, resting his cheek on the boy's shoulder.

"Why would you be sorry, InuYasha? You alone are here for me when I needed someone. You of all people should never have to apologize to me. After all I've done to you…all the cruel words and fighting and brutality…**you** should never apologize to **me**." InuYasha clutched him tightly, rocking back and forth slightly.

"I'm so sorry you had to…for me!" _He's so upset about it that he can't even say what it is that happened to me. I never knew…he cared this much._ Sesshoumaru relaxed into InuYasha's arms, nuzzling his neck. "I'm sorry, Sesshoumaru!"

()*()*()

InuYasha bolted to his feet as he smelled a familiar scent. Sesshoumaru must have caught it too, because his eyes widened slightly, but he did nothing. The next second, Rin and Jaken came into view. InuYasha's blood boiled.

"Lord Sesshoumaru!" Rin giggled. Before she could reach him, though, InuYasha had blocked her way, his sword out.

"Don't get near him!" he snarled. She shied back, shocked.

"Lord Sesshoumaru! Save me!" she screamed.

"Shut up!" InuYasha replied. "How dare you say such a thing?! How dare you even say his name, after what you did?!"

"InuYasha," Sesshoumaru's soft baritone brought the attention back to him. "She is just a child. Don't-" He was interrupted by InuYasha sheathing his sword.

"Fine, you want to forgive them? Go ahead!" Sesshoumaru frowned slightly. _Why is he so angry about this?_ Then it hit him. _He's angry because I'm willing to grant her something I never gave him…and he deserved it more than she…he never deserved my anger or hate in the first place. And this girl wronged me and because I'm willing to forgive her when I went all these years acting like I hated InuYasha…_ He stared at his brother for a long moment.

"I will not forgive her," he stated at last. "Nor will I forgive Jaken." He drew forward a step. "But you need not kill them. They will no longer be under my protection, but can you blame them for leaving someone who could not protect them?"

"Yes! I would never leave my friends, if they got hurt!"

"These two were not my friends. They followed me because they needed protection."

"It's wrong! You…you did so much for them! They could've stayed and taken care of you! They should have!" Sesshoumaru was having a hard time understanding InuYasha's deep anger on his behalf. While, over the past five days, he'd managed to come to terms with the fact that InuYasha did not hate him, he had not found solid evidence to come to the conclusion that InuYasha loved him at all, either – as a brother or otherwise. _Does he get this upset over everyone who's slighted?_ He wondered. _That would be an exhausting way to live…_

"I know it seems that way to you, InuYasha. But I asked for nothing from them, and that is exactly what I received."

"It's still wrong!"

"Alright. I agree, InuYasha."

"Y-you do?"

"I told you I would not forgive nor protect them, anymore." This seemed to calm InuYasha down a little – at least enough that he could think properly. If he hadn't been so angry, he would never have threatened Rin, in the first place. She was, after all, just a child.

"Okay."

"Lord Sesshoumaru!" Rin piped up.

"Leave, Rin," Sesshoumaru ordered. She froze.

"W-what?"

"You left once. I am sure you can do it again."

"Jaken made me leave! I didn't want to! Lord Sesshoumaru!"

"Shut up, you little brat," Jaken snapped. "Do you **want** him to kill me?"

"There is a human village two days east from here. Go there. The priestess there will take care of you, Rin. As for you, Jaken. I have nothing to say to you. You are lucky to be left alive." Jaken, seeming to realize the gravity of the situation, grabbed Rin and fled. InuYasha sighed.

"Was that…the right thing to do?" he asked softly, his ears drooping. "I mean, I have no qualms about leaving Jaken, but…but Rin was just a little girl. And I…I pressured you into doing that…"

"Calm down, InuYasha. She really will be taken care of. Her lifestyle with me was not a healthy one, anyways. Besides, she must learn that there are consequences for disloyalty.

"But if she was forced…"

"I will visit her and get to the bottom of this, later. Don't worry." He reached up and gently stroked a finger down one of InuYasha's ears. "You should get back to your companions. It has been five days, and you have yet to return to them. They must be worried." To his utter shock, InuYasha's head hung a little.

"Yeah. Um…will I…see you again?" Sesshoumaru's eyes widened slightly for less than half a second. His lips tightened as he suppressed the smile that threatened to become a grin.

"Certainly."

"And will it…be like this…or the other times?"

"It will never be like the other times, again."

"Wait…I – um – I don't…know what my friends will think so can we…keep up pretenses?" _What? He wants me to pretend…?_

"Are you sure you want that?"

"Yes. I…I just want to have time…to talk to them about it…first. And I…I don't know, I just…" Sesshoumaru watched as InuYasha tried to fumble through an excuse.

"Fine," he cut him off with a gentle smile. "We will pretend like none of this past week has happened."

"O-okay. Thanks. Um…so…I guess…I'll get going." Sesshoumaru nodded, a little confused when InuYasha didn't move. _Is he waiting for something?_ The demon lord turned to leave first. Suddenly, a hand caught his wrist and yanked him back…straight into a soft and oh, so terribly brief kiss. InuYasha's eyes were squeezed shut. The next thing he knew, it was over and InuYasha was hurrying away. He touched his lips, eyes widened with shock.

"Until next time…" he breathed.


	2. Author's Note

Author's Note: Hey, I wasn't going to write more on this story, but a few people have asked me to continue, so I guess I will. I had no real plan, so if you've got suggestions, please feel free to post them in a review or message me! Thank you all for your support and expect an update soon!


	3. Chapter 2

Hey, I noticed in one review that someone asked to see Sesshoumaru learn to love a human woman. Well, that might happen in another story, but please notice, in the summary, this story is Yaoi, that means guyxguy and it is Inucest, that is the pairing is Sesshoumaru/InuYasha. Sorry to disappoint anyone who wanted to see it otherwise. Thank you for your support!

* * *

"Inu**Yasha**!" Kagome whined. "Can we **please** take a break now?!" They'd been walking for five hours straight, and she'd been complaining for the past hour and a half. InuYasha, for once, hadn't even tried to respond. He was completely distracted and if he even heard Kagome, he gave no sign of it. "InuYasha!" the miko tried again. No reply. "That's it! SIT BOY!" Crash! InuYasha groaned into the dirt, waiting for the spell's effect to wear off. Spitting dirt, he sat up.

"What?!" he growled, thoroughly put off. Nothing ruined his morning like a mouthful of dirt. Kagome sat down, thoroughly pleased that they finally seemed to be taking a break.

"You were ignoring me," she pointed out. "I had to get your attention **somehow**."

"You can't just go doing that to people!" InuYasha replied heatedly, leaping to his feet. "And can't a guy get some peace and quiet, around here without someone yapping his ear off?!"

"First you disappear for five days with no explanation, and now you're acting all weird! InuYasha, what's up with you?!" Kagome ranted. "I mean, seriously. You just ran off two weeks ago, disappeared for five days, and came back sort of dazed. The next day, we thought you were **finally** back to normal, but now, here you are again, acting all weird! What's up with you?!"

"It's nothing I was just…" InuYasha replied in an uncharacteristically small voice. "I…I thought I smelled something."

"What?" Miroku intervened, hoping to end the argument. InuYasha stared at him for a long time, looking a little lost, so he reiterated. "What did you smell?"

"Huh? I…I…don't know…" he mumbled. He closed his eyes and lifted his nose to the wind. _Kami, he's coming closer. What do I do?_ He panicked inwardly. _I mean…I've got to act like everything's normal, right? I said I wanted that…why is he here? Wait a minute! Why am I freaking out like this?! Calm down, InuYasha!_ He took a deep breath in through his nose and realized just how much he **liked** Sesshoumaru's scent. It was crisp and clean yet slightly spicy.

"Do you know, yet?"

"Y-yeah…" He rested a hand on Tessaiga. "I know who it is." _Come on, InuYasha…just act natural…I wonder if he'll hit me as hard as he used to. It would be weird if he didn't…but…it would hurt…if he did…after all that happened two weeks ago…_

"Outoto," Sesshoumaru's soft, silky bairitone slid into his thoughts. InuYasha turned to face him, glaring.

"Sesshoumaru. What are **you** doing here?" he demanded, hoping to appear more angry than curious. The demon lord stared down at him impassively, his gaze locking with InuYasha's and holding it.

"I was here searching for something of great importance to me."

"Something matters to the great Lord Sesshoumaru other than his own self? I'm shocked!" Sesshoumaru sneered elegantly at him.

"Get out of my way or I will force you, half-breed."

"Is that a challenge?" InuYasha snarled, lunging forward with a punch aimed at Sesshoumaru's cheek. The older demon easily dodged and immediately went on the offensive, driving InuYasha away from his friends and into the surrounding trees. InuYasha effectively dodged the attacks until suddenly Sesshoumaru's fist was hurtling towards his face and he had no time to move. He cringed, but the blow never came. He cracked one eye open to see the fist just a mere hair's breadth from his cheek. Sesshoumaru tipped his head towards InuYasha's friends, who were pursuing them, and InuYasha understood. He stumbled back as if he'd been hit and Sesshoumaru kept up his flurry of attacks. InuYasha allowed himself to be directed further and further from his companions.

Suddenly, apparently Sesshoumaru had deemed them far enough away, because he didn't hold back at all in his next attack, which assumed the form of a hug. InuYasha froze, shocked, as the older Youkai nuzzled his neck affectionately. He smiled a little and rested his cheek on Sesshoumaru's shoulder.

"Um…why **are** you here?" the half-demon asked at length. Sesshoumaru didn't release him as he pondered his answer, choosing instead to drop a soft kiss onto the edge of InuYasha's ear.

"Am I not allowed to want to see you?" he whispered.

"N-no you are. I just…um…didn't expect it." Sesshoumaru leaned back from the hug only enough to lock eyes with InuYasha.

"I know this is all probably very strange for you…"

"Yeah…you can say that again."

"But I really…needed to see you." InuYasha flushed slightly, but when he tried to look away, his brother caught his chin and tipped it up, lowering his head for a soft, sweet kiss. For a moment, InuYasha's brain refused to function, then he realized that he was kissing Sesshoumaru…for the third time in his life…and that he didn't totally hate it. The first two times had been so quick he hadn't had time to think about them, and whatever he thought of them afterwards, he attributed to his really weird emotional state, at that time. But now, he could rightfully say he'd recovered from his little encounter with Sesshoumaru – even if he was still a little confused by what all had taken place – and here he was, lip-locked, again, with his gorgeous, older brother. Slowly, he pulled away.

"Sesshoumaru…we need to talk."

"Yes?"

"I…I don't know what's going on…with me, right now," he began. _Come on, InuYasha, he won't hurt you like he used to, so just man up and explain to him what you're thinking!_ "I mean…I…" he cleared his throat. "I don't know…if I should be feeling this way…about another guy – my brother, no less." _My incredibly powerful, sexy brother,_ he mentally added. Sesshoumaru stayed quiet for a moment, thinking about how to respond.

"In demon culture – same-sex relationships are common, as well as inter-family mating," he began slowly. "At the same time, InuYasha…I don't want you to push yourself into anything. If you feel wrong with me, you should just tell me." The half-demon flushed when he realized his heart was fluttering. _Kami, what's wrong with me?_ He thought.

"Well…can we just…take things slow?" he asked. He didn't want to cut it off with Sesshoumaru – whatever it was they had – but he wasn't sure he was ready for **that** kind of relationship with his brother, either.

"Of course," Sesshoumaru assured him. Suddenly, he felt the urge to prove to InuYasha just how much he meant to him. "But InuYasha…know this…if you accept me…you will be the only one I ever touch." He kissed InuYasha's forehead. "You are not some plaything or stress-reliever for me to use and discard when I feel like it." The InuYoukai placed another kiss on the boy's head, now at the base of his ear. "I am done ignoring my feelings for you." They stood in silence for a long time, just enjoying being close…feeling wanted. It was a long-forgotten feeling for both of them. The last person to hold InuYasha this way, so unconditionally loving, was his mother, and Sesshoumaru had not been cared for gently since his father had died. InuYasha's nose twitched and he broke the silence.

"They're coming."

"They must have gotten that two-tailed cat to track us."

"We weren't exactly subtle. Even Kagome could follow the trail of broken branches we left behind." Sesshoumaru conceded the point.

"Next time I'll just kidnap you…" he muttered. "May I…kiss you…again?" InuYasha found himself nodding and leaning his head up to accept a warm, chaste kiss.

"InuYasha!" Kagome's voice called. "InuYasha!" It was getting nearer. Sesshoumaru drew back and immediately they had ten feet of space between us.

"I already told you, bastard!" InuYasha shouted. "I don't know what the hell you're talking about!" Sesshoumaru's eyes narrowed but he went with it.

"Insolent pup! Is that any way to address your elders and betters?"

"Shut up, Old Man. You're no better than me!"

"We both know that I am, InuYasha. Now, if you really have no clue as to what I'm talking about, then you are simply wasting my time."

"Yeah, well, you're the one that showed up in the first place!"

"Imbecile, we're only both standing here because you attacked me instead of letting me go peaceably along my way. Now, you've wasted my time enough, I am leaving." And with that, the demon lord left, just as Kagome and the others came into view.

"InuYasha! There are you are! Are you okay?!" Kagome called, running over to him. He glanced at her, surprised, then remembered that he was supposed to have been fighting all this time. Huffing he folded his arms.

"Yeah, like that stuck-up jerk could've hurt me!" he growled. "Come on, let's go! Time's wasting!" Then, he stalked off, leaving them to all follow along behind.

"Whatever Lord Sesshoumaru was looking for must have been pretty important for him to leave without rendering InuYasha unconscious, first," Miroku whispered to Sango. InuYasha's ears twitched, listening for the demon-slayer's reply.

"I guess. I mean, it had to be important for him to come without twenty miles of InuYasha, at all…I mean, those two avoid each other like the plague." InuYasha touched his lips, mulling over the feel of Sesshoumaru's mouth on his. _It wasn't disgusting, _ he thought. _In fact, I liked it a lot. But does that mean that it's okay…? He said it happens with demons a lot, but…I don't know. _He sighed and let his hand drop, shaking the thoughts from his head. He could worry about it, later.

()*()*()

Sesshoumaru tucked his aura as deeply into his body as he could and carefully arranged himself up wind of his brother, doing his best to hide his scent. He had taken to watching InuYasha a lot, recently, and part of that included not being discovered by his hot-headed, younger brother. He didn't want to fight with InuYasha – even if it was only pretend. He didn't like sneering those snide words at him and seeing that they hurt, even though they both knew them to be a lie. It hit too close to home, considering how long he had been purposefully hurting the boy. At the same time, he knew their new relationship was hard for InuYasha to figure out and adjust to. It was throwing his brother through a loop, and for that reason, he was trying to keep his distance. Well, he couldn't **really** keep his distance, because this overwhelming urge to protect InuYasha, which had been suppressed for so long, was driving him to stay close, but he tried to give the boy as much space and time as he needed.

The half-demon glanced up at the waning moon and sighed heavily. Sesshoumaru followed his gaze, wondering for a moment what InuYasha was looking at. Then he remembered the boy's human nights. Every new moon, InuYasha's Youkai escaped him, leaving him weak and vulnerable with nothing but his human blood. _How did he survive this long on his own?_ Sesshoumaru wondered. _Now he has his human friends to protect him, but before…he had no one. _He had only seen the human InuYasha once before, many years ago. The boy had been maybe ten or eleven, and Sesshoumaru had been taking his time returning home after sealing up some negotiations with the Panther Demons of the East.

_Sesshoumaru paused in his walking when he recognized a vaguely familiar scent. No…it wasn't quite the same. Something was wrong with InuYasha's scent. More out of curiosity than concern, he followed his nose in search of the boy. When he saw him, he was absolutely floored. Huddling beneath a tree, dripping wet – it had been storming earlier that night – and covered in mud was InuYasha. Well, it looked like InuYasha, except his hair was now a dull black, his eyes a deep violet, and his ears just regular, human ears. Sesshoumaru could smell he was bleeding, and it was clear the boy was in desperate need of help. He reached out a hand to Sesshoumaru, hopeful despite all the cruelty the demon lord had shown him. _

"_Please…"he croaked, voice hoarse from crying. "Aniki…" Sesshoumaru clenched his fist. Aniki? He dare call him his brother?!_

"_You are no brother of mine, you pathetic waste of space," he snarled. "If you rot and die, the world will be better for it." And with that, he kept walking, InuYasha's attempts to stifle his broken sobs chasing after him…_

Sesshoumaru pressed a hand to his chest in an attempt to soothe the dull ache that had formed over the memory. InuYasha had never called him Aniki, again. Instead, he'd chosen names like "bastard" or "stuck-up prick." The more and more Sesshoumaru thought about it, the more he realized just how horribly **wrong** he had been to InuYasha, how much it was **his** fault they fought all the time, how much **he** had hurt the boy. It was all he could do, at this point, to remain hidden and just watch. He wanted to run to him and gather him in his arms and make all the pain of his past go away.

"It's tomorrow isn't it?" Kagome's voice broke the stillness.

"Aren't you supposed to be asleep?" InuYasha asked quietly.

"I was worried about you. You've been really weird recently."

"I've just been…thinking."

"About?"

"Stuff."

"InuYasha, clearly you need to get whatever it is off your chest."

"No, Kagome, I don't need to talk it out. Really, I don't. I'm okay just thinking about it. Besides…I don't know who I would talk to about it, even if I were to try to talk it out."

"You could talk to me…?"

"No, Kagome…I don't think I can this time. I don't think you'd get it." He sighed, letting his head droop. "I'm sorry, Kagome, but I don't think you can help, this time."

"You never know till you try."

"Not true. I know right now…that it won't help to try to explain it to you. It's…it's complicated, demon stuff. Go get some sleep." She frowned slightly.

"You know, you should really let someone in, sometimes, InuYasha." Then, she went to bed with a huff. InuYasha scoffed lightly.

"Yeah, Kagome…I know." Sesshoumaru smiled slightly and walked off. Tomorrow night…he would definitely talk to his brother, then. He wanted InuYasha to know he was there for him – even the human him.

()*()*()

InuYasha glared at the setting sun. He hated his human nights. Not because he hated his human side, as was once the case, but because he hated being weak and vulnerable. He hated not being able to protect his friends. He hated being scared, knowing that if Naraku were to ever find out about this night, he and his friends would surely be attacked with everything the evil half-demon had in his arsenal, and he would be helpless to do anything about it. He squeezed his eyes shut, waiting for the agony of the transformation to take him. His nose caught a scent. _Sesshoumaru?_ All other attempts to verify the information were cut short as pain wracked through his body. He groaned, his knees going weak. Two strong arms caught him and scooped him up against a broad, warm chest. He shuddered violently as he felt his senses dulling. His ears melded into his head and regrew as human ears, his nails shortened to useless, blunt stubs, his hair turned black, his eyes violet, and then his strength was gone. It was always the last thing to go, and it left him feeling like a fragile, glass figurine. His eyes cracked open to confirm what he'd thought before.

"Sesshoumaru," he whispered. "My friends…are looking for me, probably. They know I transform…"

"I left an anonymous note telling them you were being taken care of, tonight," Sesshoumaru explained, heading off up the slope of the mountainous terrain. _That probably won't make them worry any less,_ InuYasha thought somewhere in the back of his mind.

"Why…?" he asked at length.

"Because, InuYasha, this is when you need me…when I should have been protecting you all along." He took the human boy up into a cave he'd found earlier that day and sat down with him in his lap. "And I want to take care of you."

"It's so weird…you know…the two of us…not fighting."

"I know, it probably will take some adjustment." InuYasha closed his eyes, resting his head against Sesshoumaru's chest, listening to the steady heartbeat. How many nights had he longed for his older brother to hold him like this? How long had it been since he'd given up on that wish? That is until recently. Two months ago, he would never have thought this to be possible. Two months ago, he would never have dared imagine Sesshoumaru holding him and rocking him and kissing his hair. But then again, two months ago, Sesshoumaru had never sacrificed anything for him. Two months ago, Sesshoumaru thought they hated each other. Two months ago…so much had changed in two months.

"Thank you," he whispered mainly just to break the silence. He wanted to talk with his brother, somehow make up for the lost time, but he didn't know how to start.

"InuYasha…will you…call me Aniki?" Sesshoumaru asked suddenly. InuYasha blinked, surprised.

"Aniki…" he tested the word on his tongue. He tried to think back to see if he'd ever tried actually calling Sesshoumaru that. Oh, yes…that one time…He shifted around so he was facing Sesshoumaru, on his knees, straddling the demon's lap. "Don't do that, Aniki."

"Don't do what?"

"Keep beating yourself up for the past. You've already done enough to make up for that." Sesshoumaru scoffed lightly.

"How can it ever be enough?" he muttered more to himself than to InuYasha. The younger took his brother's face between his hands.

"It's enough. You've made me so much happier than I can even say. All I ever wanted…was for you to love me…and now you do."

"Yes, I do. I love you as a brother, but also…as something more." It was time they get this in the open. "InuYasha, the love I have for you is also romantic. You understand that, right?"

"I do." He took a deep breath. "I just don't know how to feel about that…your feelings…or mine." He fought a losing battle with the blush that threatened to take over his face, ducking his head.

"InuYasha…for demons…at least, it's not uncommon for siblings to mate. It is seen as a way of strengthening the bloodline. I know for humans it causes problems in the child, but that is not the case with demons. Also, many demons mate others of the same gender." He kept his tone low and monotone, as factual and straightforward as he could make it. "We talked about this before, remember?"

"Yeah, I remember."

"What I'm trying to ask, InuYasha…is if you will consider being my mate. If you say no, I will not hold it against you, nor will I cease to care for you. I will still strive to protect you and be with you, but I will respect your wishes not to engage in a sexual relationship with me." InuYasha's stomach squirmed. "You don't have to make a decision, now."

"It's okay. I agree."

"I beg your pardon?"

"I said it's okay, but…I mean…can we…er, um…wait a bit before…making it official?" Sesshoumaru nodded mutely. "I mean, demons…do something to make it official, right?"

"Yes, they place the mating mark…right here," Sesshoumaru finally found his voice, tapping the junction of InuYasha's neck and left shoulder, right over his collar bone.

"How?"

"A simple Youkai-infused bite would do it. It's generally made in the middle of intercourse." InuYasha's blush won the battle at this and he looked away.

"Yeah…we can definitely wait off on that for a bit, okay?"

"Whatever you want."

"But Aniki?"

"Yes?"

"I do…love you…that way."

"I'm glad." InuYasha pressed his lips to Sesshoumaru's, his eyes sliding shut. The demon lord returned the kiss, threading his fingers through InuYasha's hair and bring his other arm around his waist, pulling him closer. His tongue reached out to beg for entrance at the human's lips, which was granted, albeit hesitantly. He groaned his gratification into InuYasha's mouth, mapping out his mouth with his tongue. He felt his brother's tongue lift to dance with his, twisting and rubbing in unison with his. They parted when the need for oxygen became unbearable for the younger and he had to break away, panting. Sesshoumaru kissed InuYasha's neck, his pelt moved of its own accord to make a bed for him. Gently, he laid his younger brother down and kissed him soundly.

"You won't go anywhere, will you?" InuYasha murmured.

"No. I'll stay right here. Sleep." Sesshoumaru sat down beside him, smiling a little when InuYasha moved to lay his head in his lap. Nuzzling his thigh, the boy fell asleep. Sesshoumaru inhaled deeply. InuYasha's human scent was sweeter than his usual, milder, too. It wasn't as bad as Sesshoumaru had feared it would be. In fact, he found that he actually sort of liked InuYasha's human form. Of course, he liked the real InuYasha better, but once in a while, this might not be too bad. He idly stroked the boy's hair, noting that it was still incredibly soft and silky. _He is still my InuYasha,_ he thought, satisfied.


	4. Chapter 3

Hey, just a note, I only now realized that Sesshoumaru in this one has both his arms. Yeah...so I'm clearly not following the anime/manga at all and will continue to not follow the manga/anime. Also, this story has some very, very minor Kagome bashing. Sorry to any Kagome fans out there. Thirdly, I would like to thank all of those of you who have posted reviews. A special thanks goes out to HaruAngel08 for her support, ideas, and motivation! Sorry, we'll get some action...eventually, haha! We're getting there!

* * *

Sango's senses buzzed as she sensed a strong, demonic aura coming her direction. In an instant, she was out of the hot springs and scrambling to get dressed and armed for battle. _Of course, the one time I get to have a hot bath, and it gets interrupted!_ She thought ruefully.

"Don't stop on my account," a soft, melodic baritone chuckled. She spun, her eyes wide.

"S-Sesshoumaru!" she gasped. He frowned slightly. "Lord…Sesshoumaru," she revised. She might not like the demon lord much, but she knew when she was faced with a fight far beyond her capacity to handle. "What are you doing here? Where is Jaken and that girl, Rin?" She took a wary step back, lifting her boomerang a little.

"I came to warn you and your friends. Naraku is gathering his forces to make a move. The shards of the Shikon no Tama have been collected between you and Naraku – save the ones still in that wolf-demon's body. It will not be long until Naraku makes his move to take them." Sango lowered her weapon, slightly mystified that the enigmatic demon lord had actually come to warn them. She had always been under the impression that Sesshoumaru couldn't have cared less about them. Of course, she also knew that the demon lord shared their hatred for Naraku.

"Sesshoumaru!" InuYasha cried, coming to stand near the edge of the clearing. "I thought I smelled you. What are you doing here?"

"I have come to invite you to join me in my fight against Naraku," Sesshoumaru informed the half-demon. "I trust you heard what I just told the demon slayer."

"Yeah, I heard. So what's the plan?" Sango's brows shot up. InuYasha was asking Sesshoumaru to take the lead on this? It was the obvious choice, of course, Sesshoumaru had led wars before and knew a good deal more about strategy than InuYasha, but she never would have expected the stubborn half-demon to concede the point.

"Take me to your camp. I don't want to have to explain this more than once." Again, to Sango's shock, InuYasha obeyed without complaint. As soon as they got to the camp, Miroku and Kagome were on their feet, ready to fight. That is, until they realized the brothers weren't fighting.

"InuYasha, what's going on?" Kagome demanded as Sesshoumaru seated himself cross-legged on the ground. Sango sat down next to Miroku and InuYasha remained standing just a half-step behind his older brother.

"Sesshoumaru is here to help us fight Naraku," InuYasha stated blandly.

"What, and we're going to trust him?" Kagome argued. "Do you know how many times he's tried to kill you?!"

"Face it, Kagome – if Sesshoumaru really wanted me dead, I'd be six-feet under by now," InuYasha snapped. "Now we all know we can't take Naraku on our own – we've tried more than enough and usually barely end up escaping with our lives. Whether we like it or not, we need any help we can get, in this fight, and Sesshoumaru is a powerful ally." He took a deep breath. "I'm not asking your opinion – any of you. If you don't like it, I won't stop you if you want to walk away." He glared his challenge, staring them down, waiting for someone to make a move. When no one did, he continued, "Anyways, Sesshoumaru has agreed to take the reins on this, and – lets face it – this is really more up his alley than mine."

How can you say that, InuYasha? Fighting Naraku is what you **do**! It's as much up your alley as anyone's!" Kagome argued.

"If it were just me, sure. But my goal is not to just kill Naraku in a fight. It's to keep all of you alive while I'm at it. That takes planning and strategy – something Sesshoumaru has lots of experience with and has been trained in extensively. So just shut up and listen to what he has to say."

"Naraku's main strength is his ability to regenerate. My aura can easily overpower his miasma, though that means you all will have to learn to fight through my aura surrounding you. His other strength lies in his ability to adapt to the situation. Naraku is a quick learner, so trying the same attack twice really doesn't work. Then, of course, there's the issue of his incarnations. They will provide further complications and most likely try to distract you from attacking Naraku directly." He paused to let them absorb the information.

"Basically you just told us he's impossible to beat," Kagome stated at last. Sesshoumaru frowned disapprovingly.

"No. I simply informed you of his strengths. Knowing an enemy's strengths and weaknesses is knowing how to defeat him. Naraku's main weakness is that he must expend energy to regenerate. Then there is the fact that he is weakened when the…incarnations of himself are destroyed. They contain parts of him, and if he cannot re-absorb them before they die, their strength and energy are lost to him. I also do not think Naraku expects me to participate in this fight. It will give us the element of surprise if we can keep my involvement a secret until the actual fight. However, I would not count on that to be of much more than minimal help. But we do have one more advantage over Naraku."

"Yeah? Because right now, this isn't sounding too bright," Kagome growled. Sesshoumaru glared at her.

"You **annoying**, little ningen, if you would stop interrupting, I would be able to tell you," Sesshoumaru growled. InuYasha glanced between the two and then walked over to Kagome, crouching beside her.

"Just don't say anything Kagome – not until he's done, anyways," he murmured. Before she could argue, Sesshoumaru began to speak again.

"We can choose the place of the battle. Naraku will hold out a while, hoping you to try to come to him. He might try to lure you out by lowering his barrier so you can track him. But he will not wait long. Naraku is ambitious and impatient. He wants the power of the tainted Shikon no Tama, he wants it now, and he's already waited far too long. It will not be hard to lure him to wherever Kagome is. Now, the incarnations of Naraku…"

"We've already killed a number of them."

"In his arsenal," Sesshoumaru closed his eyes. "There's Byakuya." His brows furrowed as he recalled his last encounter with Naraku. "Muso has returned…And Akago." Sesshoumaru's eyes opened.

"How do you know?" Miroku asked. InuYasha heard Sesshoumaru's breath shake a bit, but the demon lord maintained his careful, stony mask, as always.

"I…encountered Naraku some months ago. I am fairly certain that he would not risk creating another incarnation, so close to the final battle. That is a process that uses a lot of energy – energy he will want to conserve, right about now." Sesshoumaru paused. "Any questions?"

"Just one," Sango replied. "How the hell are we going to defeat him?!" Of course, they'd all known Naraku was a formidable enemy, but having it all laid out there before them made it seem a lot more dire than they'd previously assessed. In truth, it was a little disheartening.

"Well, Sango, you actually only have to worry about defeating Byakuya – or at least keeping him occupied. Miroku, you seem best suited to deal with Muso – and remember, using your Wind Tunnel while those insects are present is a danger you'd rather not risk. However, Kirara and Shippo are to attempt to deal with those as quickly as possible to open that up for use. Kagome, it is a given that you are Akago's natural opponent."

"Huh? Why me?" Kagome asked, shocked at being recognized by the demon lord as worthy of fighting, at all.

"Your heart holds much less darkness than the rest of ours. He will hold less sway over you. And that leaves InuYasha and I to take…deal with Naraku. The key to all of this is separating all the different pieces. Each person needs to be able to give their full, undivided attention to their opponent as well as capture their opponent's full, undivided attention. I have already chosen a site for the battle. We will head there tomorrow."

"What if you're wrong?" Sango challenged. "This battle plan is based on everything going exactly as you predicted. What if Naraku doesn't do what you think he will?"

"Well, every plan risks that. But Naraku adheres to a pattern when he attacks. It is unlikely he should break that, now."

"And if he does?"

"If he does you all will have to learn to obey orders and obey them quickly and without question." Sesshoumaru stood. "Satisfied?"

"We're not your soldiers," Kagome pointed out coldly.

"If you want to defeat Naraku, you will learn to be," came the demon lord's apathetic reply. "You will not be able to defeat him as you are now. Every time he has defeated you or escaped because you all lack coordination. There will be no room for mistake, this time. Naraku will not be driven off, again. He will fight until either he is dead or you are. If you continue fighting him as you have, even if you win, it will not be without casualties. Tell me Kagome, do you want to die – because I assure you, he will come for you first. And even if InuYasha manages to protect you, it will only be at the cost of his life and the lives of the rest of your companions. Is that what you want?" This gave her pause. She slumped, hanging her head.

"N-no."

"Good. Get some sleep. We start traveling in the morning."

"Where are you going?" Sango asked. The only reply was the demon's back retreating through the trees. InuYasha sighed.

"He's right, guys. Get some sleep. You'll need it."

"InuYasha," Kagome murmured. "Are you sure this is a good idea?" The half demon chuckled wryly, bowing his head.

"No, Kagome. I'm not sure about anything. But I know that if we want to defeat Naraku, Sesshoumaru's our best chance. Besides…" He sighed deeply. "Whether you understand it or not…we owe him. I'm going to go…talk to him about the strategy some more." With that, he hurried off after his brother. During the whole speech, he could practically **smell** his brother's distress. Though no one else realized it, InuYasha could tell that the InuYoukai was terrified.

Sesshoumaru was standing in a field just beyond the forest when InuYasha found him. His head was tipped up towards the sky, his hair fluttering around him, clothes rustling in the breeze. From where he was positioned downwind, InuYasha could smell the salt of his older brother's tears. He came forward hesitantly until he was standing right behind him. He wrapped his arms around Sesshoumaru and rested his cheek on his shoulder, debating whether to get right to the point or try some small talk first. He went with the latter option.

"It's a nice night," he murmured. "But it will start getting colder, soon." Silence. Well, so much for that idea. "You know, Sesshoumaru. I am not going to let him touch you." He now released Sesshoumaru and turned him around to look into his face. "He is not going to hurt you…ever again. This time, I am going to protect you." Sesshoumaru tried in vain to hide the fact that he was crying, wiping his cheeks and eyes hurriedly, but InuYasha captured his hands in his own and held them tightly. "But it's okay…to be afraid sometimes. I'm here for you…to you can trust me with your weakness, and let me be your strength." Sesshoumaru's composure failed him and he leaned over to cry softly into InuYasha's shoulder. The younger hugged him again, rubbing soothing circles over his back with one hand and combing his fingers through his hair with the other.

"I've never felt like this, before," Sesshoumaru confessed. "Even when he was doing it…it wasn't like this. This feeling…I feel…so vulnerable."

"I know. It's okay. I will protect you." Even like this, Sesshoumaru tried to defend his pride, albeit weakly.

"Th-this Sesshoumaru does not need protection…" he mumbled.

"I know you don't, Aniki…but I want to, anyways." InuYasha felt his brother's arms snake around his waist.

"Why should I be frightened? I let him do those things to me. It's not like he could force me if he wanted."

"Of course you're frightened. It's only natural to be scared, after what happened to you. There is no shame in that. Especially not with me." He stood there and held Sesshoumaru until he was all cried out. "You okay?" he asked softly.

"Y-yes. I'm fine."

"You know. You won't be alone when you face him. I'll be right there, okay?" The InuYoukai nodded, straightening.

"I know. Thank you." InuYasha wiped his older brother's cheeks with the pad of his thumb, smiling gently. "Care to sit with me?" The two sat down together, reclining back to stare at the sky, Sesshoumaru's pelt stretched beneath their heads like a pillow. "Was I that obvious."

"No, Sesshoumaru, you weren't, but I could smell it."

"What?"

"The fear."

"It stinks."

"I know." They lapsed into silence. This was one of InuYasha's favorite things about spending time with Sesshoumaru. So often they could just sit together and say nothing. There was no rush to do something or to fill the emptiness. Sesshoumaru was calm and unhurried. So different from his other friends. Then again, that was probably because Sesshoumaru had a vast deal more time than InuYasha's human friends, but it was still nice. And when they were like this, Sesshoumaru completely surrounded him. His scent was everywhere, filling InuYasha's sense, his aura enveloped them securely, and there was nothing but the slow, steady beat of his heart to fill InuYasha's ears. He love that more than anything. Something about sitting with him and being able to just hear his heartbeat was soothing, relaxing. Maybe it was because he'd never gotten the chance to experience that, before. This was something he could associate only with his new relationship with Sesshoumaru.

"What are you thinking?" Sesshoumaru's melodious voice edged into his thoughts. InuYasha glanced at him.

"What makes you think I'm thinking about anything in particular?"

"You've got a very peaceful smile on your face…you look happy. And I can always tell. When you think hard about something your breathing slows, and you get a certain faraway look. To usually…when you're thinking hard, you're not smiling."

"I was just thinking about how nice it is…being like this." Sesshoumaru hummed his agreement, his eyes fluttering shut. InuYasha rolled onto his side and then shifted so his head was resting on Sesshoumaru's chest. He felt the demon lord's long, slender, aristocratic fingers thread through his hair, combing through a few times before reaching up to stroke his ears. The furry, little appendages leaned into Sesshoumaru's touch of their own accord, relishing the feel of the gentle affection. In comparison to how Kagome and her family tugged on them when they first discovered them, Sesshoumaru's petting was like heaven. They were really quite sensitive, and even if Kagome and her family were kind and well-intentioned, it still hurt when they were too rough. Sesshoumaru nuzzled his ear, chuckling breathily. "What?"

"Nothing, just when I do that, you give this happy, little sigh. It's adorable." InuYasha flushed, frowning.

"I'm not adorable! I'm too old for that." Sesshoumaru chuckled

"You're little more than a pup, InuYasha," he murmured. "You're very mature for your age…in some ways, but you are still not mature."

"Hmph."

"I wasn't insulting you, InuYasha. On the contrary, it was a good thing." This seemed to abate InuYasha for the moment and they let the conversation fade away, again. Sesshoumaru allowed himself a small smile at the top of InuYasha. "Sleep. I'll keep watch tonight. You look tired." InuYasha nuzzled his chest, and the older demon began to hum softly. It was a song he used to listen to a servant sing her own children. Of course, no one had sung songs to him when he was a child – he would have only scoffed and pushed them away if they had. Still, he remembered it clearly, perhaps because some small part of him longed to be held and sung to the way that woman had done for her children. InuYasha began to hum along softly.

"Never would've thought you knew this song, Aniki," he murmured sleepily.

"How do **you** know it?"

"Mom used to sing it to me when I got upset."

"I used to hear a serving woman sing it to her children." InuYasha looked up at him, eyes wide and suspiciously bright. "What?"

"You sounded so…lonely…right then."

"Nonsense, why would I be lonely when I have you with me?"

"I know that, but I mean…weren't you lonely then? I mean…did no one hold you and rock you when you were upset. Was no one there to tuck you into bed and kiss your head?"

"InuYasha, I was raised to be a demon prince. It was hardly fitting to go spoiling me like that. Besides, my parents were both very busy."

"Sessh…I know a bit about being alone. It's okay to admit you were lonely."

"I didn't think much about it, then, and it's not worth it to think about it, now. Right? It's in the past. I might as well move on."

"How can you just…move on like that? I mean, doesn't it hurt?" Sesshoumaru sighed.

"You forget, it's been much, much longer for me. Besides, there was wisdom in how I was raised – and it's not like my case was uncommon. Most nobility are raised the same." InuYasha put his head back down. It was just like Sesshoumaru to be able to cast away whatever part of him he didn't like, whatever bitterness he felt. After all, Sesshoumaru was his perfect, older-brother. That had never been in question. He wished it were as easy for him as his brother made it out to be. _Well, I got over my past with him pretty fast,_ InuYasha reasoned. _But look what it took. It took him almost dying…it took him letting something like __**that**__ happen to him, before I could realize that I still cared for him – that I still wanted his approval. _He exhaled deeply. Maybe he could just erase the hurt of his past. He smiled into Sesshoumaru's chest. Maybe…

()*()*()

Kagome glared at Sesshoumaru's back. Even if they were working together, she didn't have to like him, right? And because of him, they'd been walking for hours upon hours with no breaks, and she didn't really have the courage to ask to take a rest. And Sesshoumaru showed no signs of stopping. The had had been unnaturally warm for low close to autumn it was getting, but he seemed completely unaffected by the sweltering heat. _Does he have to be so perfect __**all the time**__?! _She complained inwardly. _And why is InuYasha fine with all of this? Since when did he just __**let**__ Sesshoumaru do __**anything**__. Especially just take over control of the group like this! It's ridiculous! We were doing just fine without him!_ She folded her arms crossly.

"Sesshoumaru!" she plucked up the courage. He ignored her. "Se-!"

"Lord Sesshoumaru," Sango hissed, sending a nervous glance up at the stoic demon lord. "Please don't make him angry, Kagome. He may be helping us, but that doesn't mean he likes us and won't try something, if you piss him off." Kagome frowned. Usually Sango wasn't nearly so skittish. _Just because it's __**Lord Sesshoumaru**__, we've all got to bow and scrape,_ Kagome thought irritably.

"Lord Sesshoumaru," she tried again. Sesshoumaru stopped and turned, fixing her with a piercing stare.

"Yes?"

"Can we take a break? My feet are killing me!"

"No, we cannot take a break, yet. A tribe of bandits travel this area, and I'd rather not get in a fight, at this moment, so let's keep going, for now." Kagome frowned but fell silent. She couldn't argue with that logic. After all, now was a bad time to risk a fight – even if it would've been an easy one. InuYasha fell into step beside her.

"Want a piggy-back ride?" he offered, taking pity on her. After all, it wasn't her fault she had grown up in a world where people simply didn't walk as much. And she hadn't argued, so he felt like he should reward that sort of behavior.

"Thanks, InuYasha," she chirped as he bent so she could climb up onto his back. "How can we be sure Sesshoumaru won't turn on us?" she asked, hoping to sound curious instead of hostile. In truth, it was less about her hate for Sesshoumaru – though that had a good deal to do with it – and more about her worry about her group's safety that she opposed this idea so much. She didn't get how they could all just go along with it, after Sesshoumaru had tried to kill InuYasha so many times. She still could hardly believe that InuYasha had come out and admitted Sesshoumaru could kill him – would have already done it – if he wanted him dead, and that Sesshoumaru didn't argue and say that he **did** want him dead and make up some excuse about why now was not the opportune time to do it. She wasn't sure that Sesshoumaru could really kill InuYasha – after all, he **had** said he wanted to more than a few times, and he fought InuYasha given every possible opportunity…until the previous night – but he still hadn't done it yet. And why would Sesshoumaru **say** he wanted to kill InuYasha if he really didn't? It made no sense. And why the sudden change of heart?

"He won't, Kagome. You're just going to have to trust me on this."

"And what did you mean last night when you said that we owe him?"

"He's done more for us than you know. That's all." Kagome made a face.

"Like what?" Silence. "InuYasha?"

"I can't say."

"Why not?"

"I just can't." Kagome sighed, resting her chin on top of InuYasha's head. _What's up with this? Since when does Sesshoumaru take precedence over me? What could he possibly have done that's __**such**__ a big deal? That jerk wouldn't do anything selfless, really. I mean, all he cares about is his own standing and power! He's proven that on multiple occasions!_

"I don't know, InuYasha. He could just be playing us, somehow. I mean, we could all die in this fight and he wouldn't even care."

"Kagome…please just trust me on this. Besides, his reasoning is sound."

"That guy could make anything sound rational. You know that, InuYasha. Seriously, he could probably make jumping up and down on your hands, waving your legs in the air, shouting 'I'm an idiot' at the top of your lungs sound rational. That doesn't mean we should do it."

"At the very least, he hates Naraku as much as we do, Kagome."

"Yeah, but he might figure to kill two birds with one stone and let Naraku finish us off before killing Naraku, too."

"He wouldn't bother with such a dangerous plan."

"So what if he just plans to finish us off after we help him kill Naraku?"

"One, he won't, and two, if he does, we'll deal with it then." Kagome sighed, again, rolling her eyes. She still didn't like this plan. Suddenly, Sesshoumaru stopped walking.

"We can rest here," he announced. InuYasha set Kagome down and stretched while Miroku and Sango sat down in the grass. "We'll stop the night here," Sesshoumaru decided.

"What? But it's only a little past noon!" Miroku protested. Sesshoumaru turned on him, a smirk on his face.

"Do you worry we're wasting time? You forgot that you all still need to train. Rest while InuYasha and I hunt but then I expect you all to be ready for training." Miroku blinked but then nodded. He wouldn't deny that a little practice would do them all some good. Sesshoumaru turned to InuYasha. "There's a herd of deer this way," he informed the boy, pointing eastward. InuYasha's ears swiveled and he nodded.

"Sounds good." Sesshoumaru's Youkai began to swirl around him and then, the next moment, he had transformed into a giant, white dog. Snarling, he took off, InuYasha in hot pursuit. Kagome frowned.

"I'm still worried about them being alone together," she admitted. Sango sighed and nodded, staring after them.

"Me too, really, but…well, I guess right now, we just have to trust InuYasha's judgment," she replied.

"But I mean, this is…really weird and sudden. I mean…what happened?"

"Sesshoumaru just…came yesterday and said he wanted to help us, and…well, InuYasha seemed…not to want to kill him. I don't know. Maybe something happened between them?"

"When?"

"I don't know." Sango shrugged. "But clearly something happened. I mean, really – the two of them sort of…get along."

"So I'm not the only one who thinks they're acting weird?" Kagome breathed a sigh of relief. At least they were all aware of how weird it was, too. "I mean, I guess…not only InuYasha, but when you think about it, Sesshoumaru too. He's still a jerk, sure, but I mean…he **did** stop, and he's hunting for us and whatever."

"Indeed," Miroku agreed. "But what is there to say or do about it?" They fell silent as the brothers returned, Sesshoumaru carrying a deer over his shoulders. He set it down and Sango immediately got to gutting and cleaning it for cooking.

"So who's first?" Sesshoumaru asked. Miroku stood. _Let's just get this over with,_ he thought, hefting his staff. They went to stand a bit away. Sesshoumaru took out Tenseiga, twirling it expertly. It took Miroku a moment to realize why he'd chosen Tenseia, and then it hit him – he was attempting to put their minds at ease by using a sword that could not injure any living being. _How…unexpected,_ he thought. Before he could ponder it more deeply, however, the demon lord was attacking. Miroku was forced on the defensive. It was all he could do to keep dodging and blocking. Suddenly, the InuYoukai stopped. "Freeze." Miroku froze. Sesshoumaru's hand came up and adjusted the angle of his elbow. Then, he knelt and adjusted the monk's feet. "This provides a stronger block, not to mention it makes it easier to twist into an attack with the top of the staff while continuing the block with the back. Using a staff holds its main strength in being able to block and strike with it at the same time. Not to mention, if you can keep a little distance, you suddenly have more reach than I do." Sesshoumaru backed up. "Again." This time, it was Miroku who attacked, and Sesshoumaru allowed him for a while.

Back and forth they went for nearly an hour until Miroku thought he was about to collapse. And then, suddenly, Sesshoumaru called a halt, saying that Miroku had done enough for the day. Tired and sore, Miroku headed back to the campfire – over which the deer was cooking – and sat down, groaning. Sesshoumaru beckoned to Kagome.

"We're going to work on your marksmanship," he declared. She frowned and walked up to him, snatching up her bow and quiver of arrows.

"My marksmanship is fine."

"It's pathetic, and we don't have time to improve it the real way."

"So…what are we going to do."

"I'm going to teach you to use a technique demon archers use…adapted hopefully to your spiritual energy." She stared at him.

"What technique?" she asked, genuinely intrigued.

"It's using the Youkai – or in this case the spiritual energy – to guide the arrow."

"…I don't get it." Sesshoumaru suppressed the urge to groan.

"Okay, when you fire an arrow, you attach spiritual energy to it, right?"

"Right!"

"Well, you own that spiritual energy – you control it, it's part of you. Use it…to direct the arrow." She frowned.

"I think I get it…maybe. But I've always just done what feels right. I don't…understand." Miroku stood, stretching.

"Lord Sesshoumaru, perhaps I can be of assistance?" Sesshoumaru jumped at the chance to interact with Kagome as little as possible and quickly stepped out of the way for Miroku to come take his place instructing Kagome. Before long, he had her nodding in understanding and firing arrows with some – albeit limited – success. After a while of that, they all returned and ate the dinner Sango had cooked before the demon-slayer went to have **her** lesson with Sesshoumaru.

The very first thing Sesshoumaru did was trip her and place his sword against the back of her neck, holding back none of his speed or skill. She jumped to her feet, scowling at him, but he held her gaze evenly.

"You may be a skilled warrior, demon-slayer, but you would do to remember that there are demons that you will not be able to defeat. I see the way you fight. You fight expecting to win. Rather, you should fight as if you will be defeated and therefore have nothing to lose and nothing to gain."

"Is that how you fight?" she challenged.

"Yes," came his surprisingly soft reply. "Do you think it is arrogance that drives me to do more than what is necessary to destroy my opponents? Arrogance that pushes me attack quickly and end the fight? Arrogance that urges me to hold nothing back? No, Sango, what you see there…is my humility." Sango's expression changed to one of pure shock. Then, he eyes narrowed.

"Well, then, Sensei. Let's try this again." Sesshoumaru lifted a brow and assumed a fighting stance. She charged at him…over…and over…and over again. Each time he evaded her, not even lifting his sword.

"Your form isn't bad," he commented as he sidestepped a swing of the boomerang. "Your training has been decent. But you're a hair slow." She skidded back as he swung his sword at her ankles, and in the same motion she flung her boomerang at him. He caught it. "Impressive." He flung it back at her and she caught it, stumbling back a few steps. "But you rely on your eyesight too much. Byakkuya constructs illusions. Start with your eyes shut, now." Sango closed her eyes, frowning. She had done this as a child, but it had been a long time since she'd practiced fighting blind, and Sesshoumaru was almost silent, his aura encompassing her from all sides, so she couldn't even pinpoint him that way. He darted around her in circles, undetectable until he'd tap her with the tip of Tenseiga. It was infuriating.

"This is ridiculous!" she snapped.

"Sense my aura, it is most powerful at my core."

"Your aura is everywhere!"

"Sense where it is most powerful." She screamed her frustration and whipped her boomerang around in a circle around her. "That's not a bad tactic, either, but you'll get worn out pretty quickly, that way." She swung it around, again, and he caught it. "Calm down, if you cannot make your emotions play to your advantage, you must keep them tucked away."

"How can I with you taunting me like that?!"

"Discipline. Your opponent will prey on any weakness he can find." She took a deep breath, forcibly relaxing.

"It would be easier if you weren't so smug."

"I'm not. Look." She opened her eyes to see a very serious Sesshoumaru in front of her. "Of all ningen, I admire demon-slayers the most, and you, Sango, are a very impressive demon-slayer. But because I am teaching you, it is my duty to point out your weaknesses where I see them." She sighed. "You've had enough for today. Go meditate an hour before going to sleep. InuYasha, are you ready?" The half-demon came forward, drawing his sword.

"You bet, Sessh."

"Don't look so eager; I am teaching you technique. We won't be fighting. You will be running drills for me."

"I figured as much, but if this is going to help us gut that bastard Naraku, I'm more than happy to do what it takes." Sesshoumaru nodded and the two of them began to run drills. Sesshoumaru would perform the drill once, and then InuYasha would repeat it, his older brother correcting him all the way through. And he would repeat it again…and again…and again until at last he got each drill muscle-memorized to perfection. By the end, InuYasha's arms and legs felt like they were made of lead and he thought he'd never be able to lift his sword, again.

"Get some sleep, InuYasha. I'll stay watch."

"Again?"

"It's fine." InuYasha nodded and clambered up into a tree to sleep. Sesshoumaru scanned the surrounding area and then his newest companions. What a rag-tag bunch. _Do they really stand a chance against Naraku? When InuYasha and I talked about this idea, he was sure they could…I guess I've no choice but to believe him. I just hope this works…_


	5. Chapter 4

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief when Sesshoumaru announced they'd reached their destination. It had been a three week journey far into the western lands. At first, InuYasha had thought they were going to the palace, which had him rather dubious. There was no way Naraku would pursue them there. But then it turned out Sesshoumaru had led them to some ruins of an old castle. When they got there, it was long after nightfall, having pushed on longer than usual in order to get there.

"Why did you choose here?" Kagome asked, making a face.

"The partial walls section off areas – it will be good for separating Naraku's incarnations but still being able to maintain contact with each other – which is essential."

"Don't you think it's strange Naraku hasn't made any moves yet?" Miroku mused. "I mean, there hasn't been a sign of him at all."

"Yeah, why wouldn't he either come for the Jewel shards or try to lure us by lowering his barrier?" InuYasha demanded. Sesshoumaru lifted a brow.

"InuYasha – what is the one thing that would stop **you** from getting the Jewel Shards."

"Well only my human ni…nights."

"Wait, so you're saying Naraku is at his weakest right now?!" Sango gasped. "Then we should take this moment to seek him out and attack!"

"Don't be foolish, Sango. Our best chance is to stick to the plan. No doubt he'll be prepared for an attack now."

"He'll be prepared for an attack then."

"And so will we. Look, I know it's tempting to take what seems to be the easiest route, but trust me when I say such a mission – assuming we could even find him, which is unlikely – would be pure suicide. There's no way Naraku would let anyone near him on his human period."

"I just can't see how it's better to fight him **and** his incarnations **when** he's expecting it!"

"Because right now, we have a plan. Usually strategies fail because people are too eager to take what seems like a good opportunity and charge carelessly into battle. That is, in fact, how must wars are lost. So please understand when I tell you that I will not allow any of you to pursue that course of action." Sango bristled.

"And how would you intend to stop me?!" she demanded, running over to Kirara and getting on. Kirara leapt into the air, but Sesshoumaru didn't even move. He looked up at Kirara and snarled, flexing his aura warningly. The two-tailed cat hesitated, and when she did, Sesshoumaru jumped up, grabbed Sango's arm, and yanked her back down, pinning her to the ground.

"That would be my first option. My second would be to tie you up. Shall we see how well my methods work, or will you just cooperate and stay put?" Sango bowed her head in defeat and he released her. "Good." Kirara came and landed beside Sango before assuming her smaller form and crawling into her master's lap. The demon lord turned and walked away to another room for some solitude. Sango scowled.

"This is a bad idea. If Naraku is weak, now, we should attack! Why would we attack him when he's at his strongest?!" she demanded hotly, more to herself than anyone else. Miroku sighed.

"I don't understand it, either, but Sesshoumaru had a point that the chances of us finding him are almost nonexistent."

"But if we could-!"

"I know. If we could it sounds good. But also, if you think about it, maybe he's right. I mean, only a total idiot would attack InuYasha on his human night, now that he has us around. We always choose defensible places to stay, and we're all alert and ready to fight, because he's weak. Besides, there's also the unknown factor of what happens to his incarnations when he turns human."

"What do you mean?"

"They're part of him, even if they're full demons. Maybe his Youkai goes into them and gives them more power."

"Or maybe they're weakened, because he is."

"Or maybe because he's wholly human all the demons he ever absorbed come out of him and come to protect him, the fact is that we don't know. It's not something we can plan for." Sango sighed and leaned back against the remains of a wall.

"I just can't believe we're sitting here and ignoring the fact that Naraku is practically **helpless** right now!"

"I know. It's hard. I want to kill him as much as you do, and I hate thinking about passing up what could be such a perfect opportunity, but I think Lord Sesshoumaru is right about this." He laid a hand on her shoulder. "Just bear with it."

"I just feel like our current plan doesn't have a high chance of success, anyways," she muttered. "I can't think about how the situation could get much worse." Miroku chuckled.

"I know it seems pretty dire, right now, but if you think about it, as a team, we've fought a lot of very powerful enemies. There were Menomaru, the Band of Seven, Gatenmaru, Ryuukotsusei…they all seemed unbeatable, too, but we always pulled through and defeated them, in the end." Sango sighed, nodding. The two got up, and then joined the others in setting up camp.

In the middle of dinner, InuYasha went to find Sesshoumaru. The demon lord was sitting up on a wall, staring out at the sky with a contemplative frown.

"Want to join us for dinner?" the half-demon asked

"No, thank you," his older brother replied distantly. He jumped up to sit beside him, watching him in silence for a while.

"What are you thinking about?" he asked at length.

"Rin." InuYasha nodded. "I went to talk to her a month ago."

"And?"

"She apologized and said she wanted to stay but Jaken forced her to leave, because it was dangerous."

"Yeah, she's a nice kid."

"I told her to stay in the village. The priestess there took her in, and it would seem Rin has an unusual amount of spiritual energy, so the priestess said she'd train her."

"So are you going to see her, again?"

"I may visit on occasion, but I'd rather her grow up independent of me. I don't want her getting too attached."

"Why?"

"Because I am a demon and she a human, and we belong in very different worlds." InuYasha bristled a little. "I think you of all people can understand that. Besides, how do you think she would feel, growing up beside me – so emotionally attached, like she is now – and to grow old while I stay as I am? It would not be easy for her."

"Not all problems are best solved with distance."

"And sometimes it is the only solution. Look, InuYasha, either way, she's too dependent on me, as it is. And it's not like I'm throwing her out on her own. She's got a good home, now. A roof over her head. Someone to help take care of her and to teach her to maximize her skills and abilities. It is a much better life for her than wandering around behind me and hiding every time I draw steel." InuYasha was forced to agree with that much. Following around after Sesshoumaru was not a healthy lifestyle for a child.

"So basically…what you're saying is that you really care about her…a human."

"…Yes. Satisfied?" InuYasha nuzzled his neck and chuckled.

"Yeah, I'm satisfied." He exhaled deeply. "Are you okay, though?"

"Why do you ask?"

"Well, you're going to have to face Naraku, soon. I heard you, last night, when you went off to sleep on your own. You had a nightmare, didn't you?"

"It was nothing important."

"It **is** important, Sesshoumaru." Sesshoumaru chuckled and turned to face him, tipping up his younger brother's chin with a finger beneath his chin.

"Then why don't you take my mind off these anxieties."

"Sessh…they're right over there…they could see us…" The demon lord's only response was a dazzling smile. InuYasha laughed softly and leaned up, pressing his lips to Sesshoumaru's. A pair of strong, sinewy arms wrapped around him, drawing him closer as Sesshoumaru ran his tongue along the seam of InuYasha's lips, requesting entrance which was quickly granted. InuYasha felt his own hands move of their own accord, one curling into Sesshoumaru's hair and the other coming up to cup his cheek. They'd already shared a handful of kisses, but each one completely knocked InuYasha off his feet. In Sesshoumaru's mouth he could **taste** the desire, the affection, the raw hunger swirling in a stunning blend that tasted just perfect when mixed with his natural taste. He found himself moaning softly into his older brother's mouth.

Every passing day he'd spent with Sesshoumaru had brought them closer and closer. The hours the spent training together, the quiet nights spent up watching the sky, the long heart-felt discussions that finally gave him a peek into Sesshoumaru's heart…all of that had formed a bond between them that InuYasha would not have thought possible. He started getting better at reading Sesshoumaru, too. Noticing the slight tightening of his lips and draw of his brows when someone thoroughly ticked him off or the subtle lift of his voice and shift of attention when something really had his attention…this had helped him get to know his brother. He started noticing, too, that Sesshoumaru, even while looking distant, actually paid close attention to everything that was going on. He listened intently whenever anyone spoke – even Kagome – and thought very deeply about what they had to say. He noticed when InuYasha's friends were starting to get tired, even though they were too afraid to say anything, and would suddenly stop walking, signaling they were taking a break. All of this cast the stoic demon lord in an entirely different light.

"InuYasha? Are you coming back?" Kagome's voice preceded her just enough to give them room to put about 10 feet between them before she came around the corner. "Oh, there you are. Are you coming back?"

"Y-Yeah I was just inviting Sesshoumaru to sit with us, but-"

"I'm coming," Sesshoumaru cut him off, standing. InuYasha jumped to the ground, wiping saliva from the corner of his mouth and hoping Kagome didn't notice. The three of them headed back to the campfire and sat down, Sesshoumaru only a little further away than everyone else.

"So now we just wait?" Miroku asked at length.

"And train. Yes. He will come."

"What if he doesn't?" Kagome challenged softly.

"He will."

"And if he doesn't?" she pursued.

"If he doesn't we come up with another plan."

"Well, I'm missing school for this, remember!" she lamented. "I've missed so much school, in fact…it's just sad. I might have to be held back a year, because of this!"

"If you must leave, I could return you and try to develop a new strategy-"

"No, that's fine," Kagome cut him off. "This is important, and it's my duty!"

"I appreciate your dedication." Now everyone stared.

"Did you just…compliment me…?" Kagome asked, shocked. Sesshoumaru lifted a brow and then chuckled.

"I was merely acknowledging your sacrifice. While I do not understand your world, at all, I do realize that you have a life there which has suffered due to your involvement in our world. Then again, you **did** cause the problem and are thus obligated to help solve it, but nonetheless, it is noble of you to have decided to follow through."

"Th-thank you…" she mumbled. Sesshoumaru dismissed her gratitude with an airy wave of his hand in her general direction. Once again silent, he easily dropped into the background as the group continued with their usual banter over dinner. Suddenly, he perked up, his nose twitching.

"InuYasha, what's the name of that wolf demon that sometimes joins up with you?" he asked. Conversation died immediately. Now, InuYasha could smell it, too.

"Koga," he supplied grimly. "I hope he's not here to cause trouble." It was then that in a swirling of dust and wind, the wolf demon arrived. He skidded to a halt.

"Hello, Kagome! What brings you this far west?" he asked. Then he noticed Sesshoumaru and recoiled, staring at the demon lord. "W-what are you doing here?" he asked.

"We are here to fight Naraku. What are **you** doing here?" Sesshoumaru retorted.

"I came to visit Kagome." The priestess suddenly frowned.

"Koga – where are your shards of the Shikon no Tama?" she asked curiously. Koga scowled darkly and folded his arms.

"Naraku took them from me about a week ago – I barely managed to escape with my life," he explained.

"Well, that makes things simpler," Sesshoumaru announced after a moment of silence. "At least we don't have to worry about getting the Jewel Shards from Koga, now."

"You're fighting Naraku here?" Koga asked.

"Yes," InuYasha replied.

"Let me help! After what he did to my tribe-!"

"Fine, fine. You can help Sango with fighting Byakuya," Sesshoumaru sighed, cutting the angry wolf-demon short.

"Why me?" Sango asked, a little defensive.

"Because, if all goes according to plan, Miroku will be able to start using his Wind Tunnel at some point during the fight, which will require a clear battlefield, and we can't have Akago turning Koga on Kagome. It would be a waste of his skills to put him up against the insects, and he'll only get in InuYasha's and my ways, if he's helping fight Naraku. Not to mention his keen sense of smell will help him fight against Byakuya's illusions." Sango accepted his reasoning. "Besides, we all are going to need as much help as we can get." _And even as it is our chances of success aren't nearly as high as I'd like them to be,_ Sesshoumaru thought, but he kept that little bit of information to himself. They needed to believe he was confident in them, even if he was far from it.

()*()*()

The day that Naraku lowered his barriers, it had all three canine demons – excluding Shippo – on edge. But surprisingly to Sango, the one that reacted the most was Sesshoumaru. His nose flared and his eyes widened slightly and then he withdrew completely into himself, telling them they could train on their own. Another odd thing was that InuYasha seemed really worried about his brother and often would just go and sit with him and watch him in silent concern. And Sesshoumaru's ill-hidden discomfort rubbed off on the rest of them, causing them to be jumpy and nervous. Finally, it seemed that InuYasha decided he'd had enough. He stood.

"Sessh. Come with me." Sesshoumaru stood, taking InuYasha's hand. Sango watched in surprise as the two of them walked off. Sure, she'd realized them getting closer, but she didn't expect InuYasha to care that much about whatever was bothering Sesshoumaru. Then again, this whole new development with Sesshoumaru had been shocking from the beginning. She turned away to find everyone else staring just as she had been. They looked to her for some explanation and she shrugged helplessly.

InuYasha stopped once they were well away from the group and pulled Sesshoumaru into a hug, pressing the older demon's head into his shoulder. Sesshoumaru inhaled his scent deeply and immediately calmed down a little bit. InuYasha's fingers glided through Sesshoumaru's hair as he stood and allowed the older demon to fill himself with his scent.

"Thank you," Sesshoumaru whispered at last. "It just…caught me off guard, I guess." InuYasha kissed Sesshoumaru's head.

"Better?" he asked softly.

"Yes…much. But I need to learn to cope with him…his scent. I'm going to have to face him. I can't freeze up when I do."

"You won't freeze up."

"How can you be sure?"

"Because, it won't be an option for you. You'll do what needs to be done – you always do." Sesshoumaru smiled weakly.

"InuYasha?!" Neither of them had noticed Kagome approaching. Both brothers sprung apart, staring at Kagome, but then InuYasha grabbed Sesshoumaru's hand, again.

"No, Aniki. I think it's time we come clean." Sesshoumaru nodded and took a step closer to InuYasha so they were right next to each other. "Come on, Kagome, we should join the others so I don't have to do this more than once." InuYasha felt his stomach tie up in a knot. How would they react? They would be skeptical that they'd made up, but what would they say when he tells them about his choice to be Sesshoumaru's mate. Would they be disgusted? Would they understand? Koga probably would – but that doesn't mean he wouldn't make fun of InuYasha just because he could. Sesshoumaru, seeming to sense his anxiety, squeezed his hand reassuringly.

Everyone stared at the brothers as they came into view, hand-in-hand. InuYasha steeled himself, clearing his throat as if he needed to get anyone's attention. After a long moment of silence, Sango decided to speak.

"Did you have something to say, InuYasha?" she prompted him.

"Um…Sesshoumaru and I…haven't been fighting for some months now," he began. "At first we kept up pretenses, because I didn't…know how you guys would take this, but…" InuYasha took a deep breath. Sesshoumaru wrapped his arms around him, murmuring a gentle encouragement, which InuYasha barely recognized, in his ear. "We're going to be mates." Shocked silence.

"WHAT?!" Kagome was the first to respond. "InuYasha! What are you saying?! You're both guys! And he's your brother! That's disgusting! And besides, you love **me**, remember?!" She paused for a deep breath but it was then that Sesshoumaru cut in with a low growl.

"There is nothing disgusting about it, miko," he snarled. "It is perfectly natural in demon society for siblings to mate, and gender is not an issue."

"But he loves me!" Kagome fell back on her last argument.

"As a friend, Kagome," InuYasha admitted. "I thought…for a while…that what we had was romantic love, but I was wrong. I'm sorry. We're from different worlds, Kagome. In the end, you'll go back to your era, and-"

"And you were going to come with me!" she finished.

"What? N-no…no Kagome, I wasn't. I belong here. And you belong there. I'm sorry." By this point the priestess was at the point of tears.

"How can you say that?!" she demanded. "I love you! You love me! You don't even love Sesshoumaru! He tried to kill you! He would…he would never sacrifice anything for you!"

"Don't talk about what you don't know!" InuYasha snapped. "He…he would. He loves me…and I love him."

"That's so wrong! That's…I…I can't…!" she broke down sobbing.

"K-Kagome…I'm sorry. I really am, but…really…you're going to find someone in your own time who'll make you happy. And I'll never forget you – we'll always be friends, but my place is here…with Sesshoumaru." Sesshoumaru released him, so he could go knees beside her. He laid a hand on her shoulder but she yanked away.

"SIT!" she screamed. "SIT! SIT! SIT! SI-!" Before the word could fully leave her mouth, again, Sesshoumaru had burst into action, darting forward and placing his hand over her mouth firmly.

"I have – because InuYasha asked – not said anything while you abuse him with that cursed necklace," he snarled. "But I will not watch while you do this to him, anymore! Do you think he does not feel? You ignorant, foolish **ningen**, how dare you shackle him with those beads and treat him as a pet to be punished whenever he does something you don't like?!" He squeezed her jaw, forcing a pained cry from her lips.

"Aniki," InuYasha murmured, getting up. "Don't hurt her…please." The demon lord's lip curled but then he released Kagome.

"If you **ever** abuse the power of that necklace again, I will tear your tongue out – and after that, it will be your throat." He straightened, tossing his head and glaring officiously down at her. Then, he cast a fearsome glare around at the other members of the group. "Does anyone else have anything to say about our relationship." Koga opened his mouth and then shut it, again.

"What about children?" Sango braved a question. "Must you not produce an heir?"

"That is a matter that doesn't concern you, but if it becomes necessary, it would not be unheard of to simply choose an heir not of my family, if we end up with no children."

"Can two men even have a child?"

"There are ways," to everyone's surprise, that was InuYasha's voice answering, not Sesshoumaru's. "Some full demons and all half-demons are able to bear children. I know Sesshoumaru wasn't going to force me, but…" he took a deep breath. "Sesshoumaru, I'd be honored if you would let me bear your pups." He said it like a declaration, not like an offer or request. Like everything with him, he approached it as some sort of confrontation, daring anyone to say anything about his decision. A faint red dusted Sesshoumaru's cheeks as he turned to InuYasha.

"I know I should've mentioned it before I asked if you'd be my mate, but I didn't really know…how…or even if it was a question, because even if you didn't want to, I'd want you to be my mate…" he muttered.

"I know. It's fine. I understand." The group lapsed into an uncomfortable silence. "Anyways, it's not like we don't have time, assuming Naraku doesn't kill us all." Sesshoumaru nodded and managed, at last, to regain control the color of his face. InuYasha cleared his throat. "Any other questions?" It was Miroku who tried to lighten the mood a little.

"When's the wedding?" he forced a laugh.

"Demons don't have weddings the way humans do, and we haven't set a date for the announcement ceremony, yet. Really, we just decided that we would eventually. InuYasha and I both think it's best to give it some time. After all, this has been a rather sudden, quickly-developing situation. It takes a little adaptation to get used to it…on both our parts."

"When did this…happen?" Sango wanted to know.

"A few months ago. Remember when InuYasha left for five days with no explanation…that's when things changed between us."

"Why?"

"I realized how wrong I was to treat him the way I had, and that really, all either of us wanted to was to love and be loved by the other."

"You just…realized?"

"As far as you're concerned, yes." Again, a strained silence reigned over them. Then, Sesshoumaru was moving on with business as if nothing had happened. "I'm going hunting. InuYasha, are you coming?"

"Yeah." The two dog demons took off, leaving a still stunned and slightly confused group in their wake.

* * *

Okay, I think we're actually going to get some action next chapter FINALLY! And I also think we're nearing the end. There may or may not be a sequel, because I plan on stopping this one when they actually announce the mating, due to T rating of the story. Thanks for all your support!


	6. Chapter 5

Sesshoumaru's eyes narrowed as he inhaled deeply. By this time, he could hear the half-demon approaching. InuYasha gave his shoulder a reassuring squeeze.

"He's almost here," the demon lord warned lowly. Kagome set her jaw and lifted her bow, earning her a low growl. "Careful where you point that thing, woman." She rolled her eyes. Their attention was directed upwards as Naraku, floating high above their heads, came into view. He touched down, a thin smirk on his face.

"It would seem like we've all gathered here…Sesshoumaru – we're past the point of titles and formalities, no? – what a pleasant surprise to see you here," he drawled. InuYasha slid his body between Naraku and his brother, lowering into a defensive stance. "Hiding behind your bother, Sesshoumaru?" Naraku taunted as he was joined by Muso, Byakuya, and a much-aged Akago, who seemed to take the form of a twelve-year-old boy. Overhead, swarmed his insects, humming and buzzing in a massive, black cloud.

"That's Lord Sesshoumaru, to you, scum," the InuYoukai replied coldly.

"You know what, I think I'll save you for last, **My Lord**, and once I've finished off these pathetic creatures you and I will have a nice long encore of our last meeting until I get bored of you and decide to absorb you, too. How does that sound?"

"Shut up! You're never touching him again," InuYasha snarled.

"How adorable. The puppy thinks it can protect his brother?" Naraku sneered.

"What are you guys talking about?" Sango demanded. Naraku laughed full-throatedly.

"No, I suppose Sesshoumaru wouldn't tell anyone he was **raped** by a **half-breed**. It was beautiful, the way he screamed with my tentacles buried in his body. Well, it won't just be my tentacles, this time. Tell me, will it again be your brother's name that you cry out over and over again, seeking comfort and protection?"

"Shut up!" InuYasha cut him off. "You won't ever touch him, again, because I'm going to kill you, here and now!" And with that, he lunged at Naraku. Kagome chose the same moment to overcome her own shock at what she was hearing and fire an arrow at Akago. He jumped back, out of the way, but she was already firing another…and another…driving him away from the rest of the fight. Koga was the first to charge Byakuya, slamming into him and taking him with him into another section of the ruins, Sango hot on his tail. Miroku attacked Muso, engaging him before steadily working him back into yet another area. Shippo and Kirara both took to the sky, Shippo using his fox fire magic to incinerate them while Kirara slashed at them with tooth and claw.

Naraku dodged yet another attack from InuYasha. One of his tentacles lashed out to knock the Hanyou off his feet, but the attack left him vulnerable for Sesshoumaru's attack. He hissed as one of his tentacles was severed. InuYasha cast a fearful glance at Sesshoumaru but the demon lord didn't even meet his gaze. The half demon took a deep breath and kept up his attack. _Sesshoumaru knows what he's doing, _he told himself. _It will work…_He was winded as another tentacle slammed into his stomach, wrapping around him and squeezing. He tore at it with his claws until it released him…

Miroku dodged out of the way as Muso, armed with a spear, stabbed at him. He glanced up at the sky to check on Shippo and Kirara's progress – not yet. Muso's next attack hit, the head of the spear biting deep into his shoulder. He choked out a groan and yanked away, switching the hand his staff was in. He blocked another attack and then managed to get in one of his own, only to strike air. He pivoted, bringing his staff around to hit with the butt end of it. It made sharp connection with Muso's temple, stunning him long enough for Miroku to hit him again, driving him back…

"Having fun, little girl?" Akago sneered at Kagome, dodging another arrow. "No…you wish you were with InuYasha right now, but ever since his brother came, you've been replaced." Kagome narrowed her eyes, shooting again.

"Shut it, Akago!" _For once in my life, _ she promised, _I am not going to make trouble for InuYasha. He always has to come save me, and it seems like he's always getting hurt for me. He trusted me with this job, so for sure, I'm going to do it right, this time!_ He erected a barrier to block her next arrow, a smirk still on his face.

"He's pushing you aside for the brother that always hated him. Doesn't that just burn you up? First it was Kikyo and now…now it's Sesshoumaru?" Kagome shook her head. _I will not let him win!_ "Poor Kagome. He'll never return your feelings." A frown flitted over his face when she just fired another arrow at him…

Sango flung her boomerang at Byakuya, again. Or at least where she thought he was. Koga growled and tackled the real Byakuya from behind.

"Over here, hunter!" She exhaled, focusing back on his aura, finding where it was strongest, and redoubled her efforts. Vines moved to entrap her, but she rolled out of the way. Koga received a punch to the stomach and was forced backwards, gasping for breath. He dropped into a crouch and swung his leg out to trip the other demon, who jumped and floated in air a moment before touching back down. He just barely managed to dodge Sango's boomerang again…

Unlike InuYasha, who kept moving and dancing circles around Naraku, Sesshoumaru stayed mostly still, ignoring the fact that Naraku's severed tentacles were slowly beginning to twine around his ankles. The demon lord steeled himself, pushing aside any traces of fear that still lingered from his past encounter with his opponent. _This is necessary,_ he told himself. _For InuYasha…to destroy this disgusting abomination…I can do this._ The tentacles now came more rapidly. Naraku laughed.

"You've grown slow, **My Lord**," he jeered. "Soon you will be completely absorbed into me. How do you feel knowing that your brother will be destroyed using your own abilities?" InuYasha was knocked back to the ground, again. He jumped to his feet but was rendered immobile as a tentacle now wrapped all the way around him, pinning his arms to his sides. Tessaiga dropped to the ground, and InuYasha knew the real battle was beginning, right now. He took a deep breath, battling down the inner demon raging to get out. The past weeks had been spent not only improving his skills with a sword but also learning how to quell the violent, insatiable need to destroy that arose in him every time Tessaiga left his hand. He bit his lip as Sesshoumaru was completely encased by the tentacles. They pulsed as they began to absorb him…

Kagome picked up an arrow from the ground – she'd run out. And Akago was still trying to taunt her. Blinking away the urge to break down in tears or go murder that arrogant jerk, Sesshoumaru, she set another arrow to her bow. She hesitated, turning slightly to head back to InuYasha. _I should be protecting him, now, _ she reasoned. _He could die…I…_

"That's right, he could die without you," Akago cooed. She spun back around and shot the arrow straight at him. He gasped, his eyes going wide in shock.

"Yeah, he could, but I promised him I'd take care of you, first." She picked up another arrow and shot it. It went through his throat. With a moan, the demon collapsed. Kagome began to gather any arrows that were left unbroken. Then, she rushed out to join with InuYasha…and froze. _Oh, my God…_

Miroku chanced a glance at the sky. Still the insects continued to buzz in masses. He sighed and steeled himself. He had to end this, and he had to end it now.

"Shippo, Kirara! Get out of the way!" he shouted before slipping off the prayer beads that bound his wind tunnel. He pointed it right at Muso, ignoring the pain that seared through his arms as the insects swarmed into the void. Kirara and Shippo landed behind him, safe from the vortex.

"Miroku, don't!" Shippo cried, but the monk held it until at last Muso was sucked in. He threw the prayer beads over it again and collapsed, clutching his arm, which was covered in a black stain from the poison. Wheezing, he labored to his feet.

"Come on, Kirara, Shippo. Naraku's still alive. We should go help InuYasha and Lord Sesshoumaru," he panted. And with that, he staggered back towards the others. The second they came into view, his heart sank…

Koga landed next to Sango, panting. The illusion of about ten Byakuyas surrounded them. Sango frowned.

"I can't figure out which one is him!" she growled in frustration.

"Easy. I'll latch onto him, and you throw your boomerang at him."

"I could hit you!"

"I'll be fine." She nodded, and Koga inhaled deeply. A smile curved his features and he leapt forward, darting through a few Byakuyas to grab one that was hidden in a nook, casting a spell. He dragged him out into the open. Sango threw her boomerang. Koga released and dodged at the very last second. Byakuya was not so lucky and was severed completely in half. Sango caught the boomerang as Koga jumped over to the demon's corpse. "He's dead alright," he announced.

"Then come on, InuYasha and Lord Sesshoumaru may need our help." Nodding, the two of them rushed out to where Naraku was. They stopped and stared…

InuYasha could barely fight the raging monster inside him, anymore. _Come on Sessh!_ He pleaded. _What is taking you so long?_ Then suddenly the tentacles exploded off of Sesshoumaru, disintegrating, to reveal Sesshoumaru standing there, an unfamiliar sword in his hand. _What the…? _The half-demon wondered as Naraku reeled in shock. _Whatever, stick to the plan, InuYasha, Sesshoumaru won't screw it up just because he's suddenly got a fancy, new sword._

InuYasha took a deep breath and released his demon form, tearing the tentacles off of himself. Forcing himself to think, he managed to grab Tessaiga again. He whipped it around, pointing it at Naraku and unleashing the Windscar just as Sesshoumaru performed his own attack. Waves of green energy raced down the blade and lashed out at Naraku, hitting him at the same moment that InuYasha's Windscar did. Naraku let out a shriek, and his body began to disintegrate. Frantically, he tried to regenerate only to find he was unable. Desperately, he attached the previously severed parts only to have them begin to disintegrate as well. With a final wail he crumbled, leaving behind only the glowing pink portion of the Shikon no Tama.

"Sesshoumaru!" InuYasha cried, running forward as the demon lord fell to one knee. "A-are you okay? What happened? That sword…"

"Bakusaiga," Sesshoumaru told him. "A manifestation of my own power." He sheathed it and stood, stumbling slightly.

"Easy there…are you okay?"

"Y-yes, I'm fine. Just…weary." Slowly, the others moved forward. Kagome went and picked up the fragment of the Shikon jewel, holding both it and her own fragment in her hand. Everyone watched as they fused together into a solid, perfect, pink orb. Silence.

"W-what do I do with it?" Kagome asked at last. Sesshoumaru stared at her.

"You have two options: keep it and protect it, or banish it and end its power." Kagome stared down at the Jewel then looked up to InuYasha and the others.

"I think…I should banish it," she announced. Sesshoumaru nodded.

"As you will, then, miko." When no one voiced their protest, she held out her hand, the Shikon no Tama nestled in them, and closed her eyes. And, as basically everything she did when it came to the Shikon Jewel, she did what felt right. Light burst from the jewel and a high ringing sound filled the air. And when it all died down, the jewel was gone.

* * *

Finally! The battle! Whew! It was a long time coming. Anyways, I have no idea how accurately I portrayed Akago, Byakuya, Naraku, or Muso as I never ended up getting far enough in the anime to see much of them. (Well, I saw Naraku but he changes a lot, so I might've missed some things, and I know for sure that I blatantly ignored/changed some parts of him.) The same goes with the fate of the Shikon no Tama and Sesshoumaru's new sword. Really I just Googled all of them and left the rest up to my imagination. Sorry if it's not true to the anime or manga. Thanks, I only foresee one or two chapters more, so, thank you all for reading and being so supportive!


	7. Chapter 6

"So…you ready to tell us about what that new sword's about?" InuYasha asked hopefully, sitting down next to Sesshoumaru by the campfire. Two days after the battle with Naraku, and Sesshoumaru still hadn't shown any inclination to explain what had happened. And as far as InuYasha knew, swords didn't just come popping up out of nowhere. Especially not powerful ones like Bakusaiga. Sesshoumaru lifted a brow.

"What's to explain?" he asked.

"Where did it come from?"

"It came from within me."

"Why?"

"Your guess is as good as mine, really, but it seems that in that moment, I stopped relying on our father's strength and became a demon of my own right."

"So…what was it like…did it like…physically come out of you?"

"I wasn't…entirely cognizant, but I don't think so. I think it just sort of…appeared."

"Yeah, what as **that **about?" Sango demanded suddenly. "I mean, I come out to help, and all I see is you getting absorbed by Naraku!"

"The best way to weaken him enough that our attacks combined would finish him was to attack him from the inside. I leaked a small amount of poison into his system while he was trying to absorb me, so it would weaken him without him noticing. Then, it was simply a matter of breaking free and…well, the plan was to use my Dragon Strike, but that changed with Bakusaiga's appearance. Essentially the plan was, though, to both of us attack him with our most powerful strikes at the same time, after he was already weakened."

"And what kind of plan was that?! It risked you getting absorbed and InuYasha turning into a mindless killing machine!" Kagome pointed out angrily. She still hadn't forgiven Sesshoumaru for not telling them the plan to kill Naraku. Sesshoumaru glared icily at her.

"It was a sound plan. Every plan has risks – the key is balancing them. And I was fairly certain that this battle was one which we needed to win…at all costs. If InuYasha had succumbed to his completely demon form, I have no doubt in my mind that he could've destroyed Naraku."

"But you admitted that you needed help. Do you think he could've succeeded even where you didn't?" Miroku asked, astonished.

"Firstly, I did not say I needed help to kill Naraku – I simply pointed out that **you** did, and I was willing to offer said assistance. Secondly, yes, I think InuYasha in his complete demon form is capable of far more destruction than I am, at the cost, of course, of his sanity and sense of self and eventually…his life. You see, if InuYasha were to succumb to the demon inside of him, he would continue to kill and destroy until he died of wounds or exhaustion – which ever came first."

"…Oh." Miroku nodded slowly. He fiddled with the prayer beads on his right hand. He still wore them, though his wind-tunnel had disappeared with Naraku. Sango slid her hand over his squeezing gently. He winced slightly and she cast him an apologetic frown. The poison had not yet left his system entirely, and there was still a large, black-ish stain on his hand which was very painful. They lapsed into a long silence. Then Kagome spoke.

"…What now? I-I mean…if I go through the well…will I be able to come back?" her voice broke slightly at the end.

"I'm not sure," Sesshoumaru replied. "But either way you have to go through."

"W-why?"

"Because, your life is there. You have a family there…an education…a future. I don't see any of that for you, here."

"How can you say that?! I…I could belong here as much as I do there!" Kagome demanded, her temper rising.

"You may think that, but it is obvious to me that this is not the case. Think about it Kagome. Even while you're here, you wear clothes from your own time, you bring over food and drink from your own time, you talk about it and long for it when you're here. Perhaps you long for here when you're there, Kagome. That may be the case. But you were born in your own time period for a reason. After all you have learned and done, miko, do you think even a single aspect of your life is anything less than destiny?" Kagome blinked then frowned.

"Well, maybe it's my **destiny** to stay here!"

"If you belonged here, you'd have been born here. Do you really want to live a life where you'll never see your mother or brother or grandfather again? What about your friends at school?"

"I don't want to live a life where I don't see InuYasha or Sango or Miroku or Shippo ever again, either, though!" She clenched her fists, tears rising to her eyes.

"Kagome…there is no life where you can choose both. And in the end, there is no place for someone like you here. Your heart is at dissonance with this place."

"What does that even mean! I fought and almost died – many times – to save this place!"

"I did not say you don't love it, Kagome. I said you do not belong here."

"Sessh…" InuYasha whispered, a pained look crossing his face.

"Someone must tell her these things, InuYasha. If your compassionate heart prevents you from saying it, then I will gladly take on that responsibility."

"Don't talk about me like I'm not here!" Kagome snapped. She crossed her arms and bowed her head, tears slipping down her cheeks. When she spoke again, it was much quieter. "Why do I have to choose?" she asked. "Why can't I have both?"

"The same reason no one can have both. We are created for the times in which we live." Kagome now began to cry in earnest. InuYasha got up and walked over to her.

"Kagome…"

"You agree with him, don't you?!" she demanded angrily. "You think I should leave! You won't even care if I never come back!"

"Kagome…it's not like that. I will miss you. A lot. But Sesshoumaru's right. You have to go home…we always knew you would."

"Yeah, but I thought **you'd** be coming with me! And now you're not! It's not fair!" InuYasha sighed and hugged her.

"I'm sorry, Kagome…"

"No you're not! If you were really sorry, you'd come with me!"

"I can't do that. It's not fair to ask me to live in that world. I mean, not only do I not know how, but also I…I love Sesshoumaru, and I can't live in a world without him."

"So you love him more than me?! Is that what you're saying?!" InuYasha swallowed hard and was silent for a long time. Then, very gently, he spoke.

"Yes, Kagome. I love Sesshoumaru more than anything else in the world. But that's irrelevant! I…I say you have to go because that's what's best for **you**, not because I don't want you around." Sesshoumaru felt his heart flutter. _More than anything else in the world?_ He thought. Of course, he'd vaguely been aware that InuYasha loved him – and quite a bit at that – but to hear it said like that…it stole his breath away. Kagome now drew away from InuYasha and bowed her head, resigned.

"Then take me right now. Take me to the well this instant, and I'll go home and disappear from your life forever," she ordered. InuYasha cast a glance at Sesshoumaru and then nodded.

"Fine. If that's what you want."

"Fine?! You're fine with me just disappearing?!"

"I will miss you, Kagome, but you belong there. So if you want to go home, now, I will take you." She stood up.

"Fine, then. Let's go." He bent so she could get onto his back, and then he took off in a blur of red. Sesshoumaru sighed and stared after them. He hoped, for InuYasha's sake, that they made up before she left.

InuYasha stopped in front of the well. Kagome had stopped crying, but his shoulder was still wet with her tears. He set her down and hugged her tightly.

"I know you're hurt, Kagome. I'm sorry. I don't know what else to say. I hope that you can come through, after this, but if you can't, know I'll never forget you…as long as I live. I wish you didn't have to choose, but you do, and I hope that you find happiness in your life," he whispered gruffly. She hugged him back, pouting.

"It's not fair…but I guess…I guess you're right. So…um…bye." InuYasha nodded. She kissed his cheek and then went to stand on the edge of the wall. With a deep breath she waved and jumped down. InuYasha watched her go and then turned away.

"Goodbye, Kagome," he murmured. Then, he was running back to Sesshoumaru.

()*()*()

The demon lord strode through the gates of the Western Palace. He threw back his head and let out a long, loud how to inform the servants that he had, at last, returned home. He kept his arm around InuYasha's waist, informing everyone that InuYasha was not only allowed there, but had in fact, come as an equal. Miroku and Sango were staying a nearby human village to support InuYasha until he got settled into what would be his new life. Then, they intended to head back to Kaede's village and hopefully start a school for demon-hunters and monks that could defend the village, once Kaede was gone.

The half-breed, for his part, was having a hard time keeping down his breakfast. He wasn't one for getting butterflies in his stomach, but now he could honestly say he was more nervous than he'd ever been in his entire life. That night, at the Council meeting, Sesshoumaru was going to announce his intention to mate with InuYasha.

"Nervous?" a deep, soft baritone purred into one of his puppy-like ears. InuYasha shivered involuntarily, his eyes fluttering shut.

"J-just a little," he admitted. Sesshoumaru pressed a soft kiss to the base of his ear.

"We're just announcing it tonight, we don't have to actually do it until you're ready," he reminded his younger lover.

"Y-yeah, but still…what will they say? I mean…I mean, I'm a half-breed…" Sesshoumaru frowned slightly.

"Don't say it like that," he chastised gently. "And they won't say anything. It's not in their place to say anything but 'congratulations, my lord,' so that's all they'll say."

"But I mean…"

"Don't worry. If they have any problems, that's their issue, not yours." He led InuYasha up to his room. "I thought we might as well share a room…"

"Yeah, that's fine."

"Tomorrow we can have you measured so you can get some extra clothes."

"Thanks. I think I'm just going to explore the place a little."

"Will you be okay on your own? I have some paperwork to handle"

"I'll be fine." InuYasha leaned up for a quick kiss before walking off. Sesshoumaru exhaled deeply and went to his office. The place was just as he'd left it, not a single scroll or pen out of place. He sat down at his desk and started to work on the papers he had to take care of. A few moments later a servant knocked.

"Enter." A young demon girl came in bearing a tray of tea. "Very good. Set it here and leave." She bowed and did as he bid. Sesshoumaru sipped the tea, relaxing visibly. Maybe he, too, was more nervous about this than he had realized. With a soft chuckle, he turned back to his work. _There's no need to be nervous, Sesshoumaru. You're informing them, not asking their permission._

Four hours later, he stood and went to go find InuYasha. The Hanyou was in the garden, seated under a tree, a small smile on his face. Sesshoumaru tucked his aura into himself and moved so he was downwind of him, chuckling. Stealthily, he crept up on the boy from behind.

"Enjoying yourself?" he purred from behind him, causing InuYasha to jump.

"S-Sessh! You startled me." Sesshoumaru chuckled and sat down next to InuYasha. "Done with your paperwork then?"

"Yes, I'm all yours until the council meeting." InuYasha blushed slightly.

"You make it sound so dirty when you say it like that." Sesshoumaru leaned up and breathed hotly in InuYasha's ear.

"What's dirty about two mates enjoying each other's…" he paused suggestively. "Company?" InuYasha squirmed.

"Sesshoumaru!" he pouted. _He should not be allowed to sound so damn sexy!_ He inwardly grumbled.

"InuYasha…" Sesshoumaru replied, smirking at how flustered he was getting his poor, little puppy. "My, my, what an adorable shade of red your face is…"

"Sessh! Stop it! D-don't talk like that!"

"Like what?" He snickered. "Be specific, or I won't know what you want."

"You know exactly what I want, Sessh!" The demon lord allowed his tongue to come flit out over his lower lip.

"Is that so? Because in that case, you want me to get closer and closer to you until you melt from my heat." As he said this, he leaned forward to press his body against his brother's side. He drew his tongue along the edge of one ear, drawing another, violent shudder from the Hanyou.

"S-Sessh…please…" he whispered. "Not here…like this…people could see us…" Taking pity on his brother, Sesshoumaru put a little distance between them.

"Fine," he relented. InuYasha breathed a sigh of relief, finally managing to get the color of his cheeks under control. "How do you like the palace."

"It's fine, but…um…will we have to stay here **all** the time?"

"No, no, my dear. We can travel, as you like. I'm not fond of staying in one place too long as it is, anyways." InuYasha smiled and lay his head down in Sesshoumaru's lap so the demon lord had good access to pet his ears, which had become Sesshoumaru's habit whenever they were easily accessible.

"Good." He sighed happily as the demon lord stroked his ears gently with the backs of his knuckles. The two spent the next hour or so chatting about the changes that were going to have to occur, once they actually mated. In actuality, mostly it was InuYasha noticing all the changes that would have to happen and Sesshoumaru trying calm his nerves and assuring him he would be just fine. Then, their time was up and they had to get up and go to the Council Hall.

InuYasha grabbed Sesshoumaru's hand partially to keep his own from shaking. _Really, why are you so nervous, InuYasha?_ He criticized himself. _They won't say anything. And who cares if they do? It makes no difference! Let them think what they want!_ He stopped Sesshoumaru right before he opened the door. He took a few deep breaths, trying to settle the fluttering of his stomach. Sesshoumaru chuckled a little, tipped up his chin, and planted a soft, sweet, reassuring kiss on his lips – right in front of the servants and guards. InuYasha flushed.

"It's going to be fine, Outoto," the older demon assured him gently. InuYasha nodded and the two of them went in. The councilmembers stared at them, shocked that Sesshoumaru had allowed the Hanyou near him. _They're in for an even bigger surprise in just a minute,_ InuYasha thought, feeling a small glow of triumph bubble up in his chest.

"Lord Sesshoumaru, why have you called this meeting?" the Council Spokesman asked at length. Sesshoumaru met the aged bear-demon's gaze evenly. He pulled InuYasha a half-step closer, his eyes scanning the room defiantly.

"I have come to announce that I have chosen a mate," he declared. "Prince InuYasha of the West, Son of the Great Dog Demon."

* * *

And I think this is the last chapter of this fic. Due to the requests to have a detailed scene of their mating (which is just what it sounds like ~cough cough~) and my decision that I'm definitely writing a sequel (which will be M rated) I will just pick that story up there. For any of you that want to read the sequel when it comes, I will post an Author's Note at the end of this story with the title of the sequel when I actually get the first chapter up. Thank you all for your support!


	8. Sequel Announcment

A/N: Hey, the first chapter of the sequel is out, for those of you who want it. It's called After Five Days (even though Five Days didn't end up fitting the first story at all) because I don't really do titles well. It is rated M, and as promised, starts with the mating scene of Inu and Sessh.


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